Ruling party claims election victory

Ethiopia’s ruling party on Tuesday declared victory in the country’s national elections, saying it had already taken more than 300 of the 547 seats in parliament. Bereket Simon, information minister and spokesman for the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), made the declaration after the initial tally of early polling results. "We have the majority," he told reporters. "We can’t give exact figures, but we have won more than 300 seats. This is a very positive result for us." More than 90 percent of the 25.6 million voters turned out in what was seen as a critical test of the Ethiopian government’s commitment to democracy, according to officials. The National Election Board (NEB) was expected to announce provisional results on Saturday, although results were being posted outside polling stations when counting was finished. Final results will be announced on 8 June. Ana Gomes, the EU’s chief observer, described the election as "the most genuinely competitive elections the country has experienced," despite some problems and human-rights violations. "What I watched on polling day was a genuine demonstration of democracy," she said. "Nevertheless, the overall political environment in which these elections took place contained a number of elements which limited the full exercise of suffrage and the free expression of the will of the people. She cited the killing of at least four political activists by police, the breaking up of opposition rallies and the detention of opposition activists during the campaign. More than 300 opposition activists had been beaten, she added. She called on political parties to refrain from declaring victory until the results were made official. "This is improper and it is particularly improper for the ruling party to do it at this stage," she told reporters. "We are now at a very important and critical stage, which is the issuance of the results." Former US President Jimmy Carter, who led a 50-strong team of observers from the Carter Center, said while there were minor problems in the run-up to the vote, the elections on Sunday were "as good as any we've seen." "The environment throughout most of the country was calm and peaceful," he told reporters. "Voter turnout was overwhelming, and while citizens had to wait in extremely long lines, they showed remarkable patience." Kemal Bedri, chairman of the NEB, described the elections as one of the best ever held. "This was really one of the most transparent elections we have ever had," Kemal told reporters in Addis Ababa. "We do not have any complaints yet of any fraudulent activity." Opposition politicians had complained of irregularities and threatened to reject the results, after which Prime Minister Meles Zenawi banned demonstrations. "We have been able to hold hitch-free and democratic elections that involved all our people across the country," Meles said on state television late on Sunday evening. "It has been decided that all security forces in Addis Ababa be put under a single command and be accountable to the prime minister," he added. "Thus, Addis Ababa has also been divided into seven security zones and several sub-zones, and all the necessary preparations have been finalised to ensure peace and stability of the public." He added: "To ensure a violence-free and peaceful atmosphere during the time until after the votes are counted and the electoral board announces the results, I would like to announce that demonstrations and outdoor public gatherings in Addis Ababa have been banned for one month." Opposition groups said the results were too early to call but noted that they had won every seat in the capital and a number of other urban centres around the country. "It is still too early to call. They are pre-empting the election, because not even half of the results are in," said Hailu Shawel, leader of Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD), the largest opposition group. "These figures are too premature," added Dr Beyene Petros, vice-chairman of the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces, an opposition party. Even so, the CUD said early indications showed they had won around 61 seats in the new parliament and believed that figure could rise. They added that 185 seats were needed for the country to have a true, effective opposition. In the last vote in 2000, the ruling coalition and affiliated parties took 519 of 547 seats in the parliament. More than 300 foreign observers witnessed the election. They said the long queues seen on Sunday were a sign of people's faith in Ethiopia's polls. The massive turnout meant that some voters had to wait more than nine hours to cast their ballots, and polling in Addis Ababa lasted until Monday morning.