Share

Ethiopian ruling party set to take near total election victory

Addis Ababa - Ethiopia's ruling party and its allies are expected to celebrate a near total victory in parliament on Monday with the announcement of last month's election results.

Preliminary results of at least 80% of seats released last month said the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) of Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn secured all parliamentary seats so far declared, 442 out of the 547 seats up for grabs. Final results are slated to be announced at 12:30 GMT.

The EPRDF, in power in Africa's second-most populous nation for over two decades, is widely expected to secure a near clean sweep of parliament, and the outgoing chamber had just one opposition MP.

African Union observers said the polls passed off without incident, but the opposition alleged the government had used authoritarian tactics to guarantee victory.

Government spokesperson Shimeles Kemal has said the party's success was the result of Ethiopia's economic advances.

"Voters have credited the ruling party for the economic progress it introduced in the country," he told AFP.

"They want the continuation of this policy. In view of the weak, fragmented opposition and the lack of viable alternative, it was very likely that the ruling party would win in a landslide."

Opposition set to lose all seats

According to the electoral board, the EPRDF also took back the only seat that was held by the opposition, securing all 23 seats in the capital Addis Ababa.

Ethiopia, whose 1984 famine triggered a major global fundraising effort, has experienced near-double-digit economic growth and huge infrastructure investment - making the country one of Africa's top-performing economies and a magnet for foreign investment.

It also remains a favourite of key international donors, despite concerns over human rights, as a bastion of stability in an otherwise troubled region.

Ethiopia's former Marxist rebel-turned-leader Meles Zenawi, who died in 2012, was succeeded by Prime Minister Hailemariam, who has said he is committed to opening up the country's political system to allow more space for opposition parties.

But rights groups routinely accuse Ethiopia of clamping down on opposition supporters and journalists, and of using anti-terrorism laws to silence dissent and jail critics.

Activists have said the polls were not be free or fair due to a lack of freedom of speech.

The United States, which enjoys close security cooperation with Ethiopia, also said it remained "deeply concerned by continued restrictions on civil society, media, opposition parties, and independent voices and views".

US President Barack Obama will in late July become the first sitting American leader to visit Ethiopia. The European Union has also said that true democracy had yet to take root in Ethiopia.

The African Union deployed 59 observers for the May 24 polls, but European Union and Carter Centre observers, who were present for the 2010 vote, were not invited.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
42% - 373 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
58% - 510 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.94
-0.2%
Rand - Pound
23.90
-0.0%
Rand - Euro
20.43
+0.2%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.34
+0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.1%
Platinum
908.50
+1.3%
Palladium
1,017.25
+1.5%
Gold
2,221.02
+1.2%
Silver
24.85
+0.9%
Brent Crude
86.09
-0.2%
Top 40
68,346
+1.0%
All Share
74,536
+0.8%
Resource 10
57,251
+2.8%
Industrial 25
103,936
+0.6%
Financial 15
16,502
-0.1%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE