Opposition party calls for consumer boycott

Ethiopia's largest opposition party on Monday called for a consumer boycott of products controlled and sold by the ruling party, officials said. The Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) also called for protests against what it decribed as continued harassment of its members and vote rigging, according to Gizachew Shiferaw, party spokesman. Berhan Hailu, information minister and member of the ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), told reporters that the opposition was planning to undermine law and order in the country. "This is the continuation of unlawful behaviour and acts of the CUD," he said. "The government will not tolerate these actions, and it will take whatever measures [are necessary] to keep law and order." The protests will include strikes and a boycott of government-run breweries and state-media. Gizachew said that the CUD plans to extend the boycott if harassment of its members continued. "The ruling party runs construction firms and printing companies, which will also be targeted," he added. "The ruling party is by far the largest procurer and employer in the economy, so these measures would hit them." The CUD also asked drivers to hoot their horns for three days starting on Monday and to stay at home for five days, beginning 14 November. Tensions between the CUD and the EPRDF have been increasing since bitterly contested elections in May. On Sunday security forces and police surrounded the party offices. At least two officials were beaten as they left their workplace, according to eyewitnesses. Around 10 other members were taken away, although it was not clear if they had been arrested. Late on Saturday armed police and security forces carried out a major stop-and-search of vehicles and their passengers across the city ahead of the planned protests. According to Amnesty International, hundreds of opposition members and supporters have been rounded up in recent months. "Arrests of government opponents on allegations of planning violence are reportedly continuing in some areas," the organisation said in a statement released late on Friday. "The opposition party members detained may be prisoners of conscience, arrested solely for the non-violent expression of their political opinions," Amnesty added. The CUD has also boycotted parliament, claiming the ruling party stole the election. Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has accused the opposition of trying to overthrow the government by organising street demonstrations. Protests after the elections led to 42 people being shot dead by security forces. Recently, the parliament voted to strip the 109 newly elected CUD lawmakers of immunity from prosecution. Federal police were unavailable for comment. The EU, the US and the UK have been trying to broker a settlement between the two parties but have made little headway. The EU said the 15 May elections failed to meet international standards. Even so, the opposition gained 176 seats in the 547-member Council of People's Representatives. In elections in 2000, they won only 12 seats.