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Sole opponent in Ethiopia parly won't run in May

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Ethiopian flags fly at half mast in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, after the death of Meles Zenawi. (Elias Asmare, AP)
Ethiopian flags fly at half mast in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, after the death of Meles Zenawi. (Elias Asmare, AP)

Addis Ababa - Ethiopia's sole opposition member of parliament said on Wednesday he would not run in the May election and his party would not field candidates because of state meddling in the party's leadership, casting a new shadow over the vote.

Rights groups have criticised the government for stifling dissent in the media and detaining opponents in the run-up to the election. They have also accused the authorities of abuses in previous polls. The government has denied all the charges.

In 2005, 174 opposition politicians won seats in the 547-seat parliament but many did not take them up after pronouncing the vote rigged. In 2010, Girma Seifu, deputy president of the Unity for Democracy and Justice (UDJ), was the sole opponent to win.

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