July 8, 2010 | ENA
Addis Ababa , A farewell bid was organized for members of House of Peoples Representatives (HPR) and House of Federation (HF) at the National Palace here on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, senior government officials, ambassadors and dignitaries were present at the event.
On the occasion, president Girma Woldegiorigis presented awards to speakers of the Houses, chairs of standing committees, ministers and government whips in the parliament.
Read more: Ethiopian National Palace bids farewell to members of HPR,HF
July 2, 2010 | ENA
Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said the allocation of the 2003 EC federal government budget is made by taking into consideration the 10.4 per cent economic growth in which Ethiopia anticipates to register in the coming five years.
While responding to questions raised by the members of the House of the Peoples Representatives, which approved the 2003 EC federal budget in its regular session here on Thursday that the new parliament may revise and request for additional budget.
ADDIS ABABA (AFP) – Ethiopia's ruling party and its allies won more than 99 percent of votes during last month's controversial legislative polls, officials said on Monday.
Partial results announced shortly after the May 23 polls showed Prime Minister Meles Zenawi's Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) ahead in all areas, including the capital, where the opposition came out on top in 2005.
"Of the 547 seats available, the EPRDF won 499," National Electoral Board chairman Merga Bekana told reporters.
Read more: Ethiopia ruling party, allies win 99% of vote: result
June 18, 2010
ADDIS ABABA (AFP) – Ethiopia's supreme court on Friday rejected an appeal by the country's main opposition coalition over alleged fraud in the May 23 polls that saw the ruling regime coast to re-election.
"The supreme court has rejected all the appeals of Medrek which were 85 pages-long based on the fact that they lacked evidence and did not follow proper procedures," Supreme Court Judge Asegid Gashaw said.
The Medrek umbrella group of opposition parties had already filed an appeal with the electoral body and demanded a re-run, arguing the ballot was riddled with fraud and that its observers had been subjected to intimidation.
Provisional results show that Prime Minister Meles Zenawi's ruling EPRDF coalition secured 535 out of 547 seats in parliament while Medrek could only clinch one.
June 12, 2010 | AFP
ADDIS ABABA — Ethiopia's main opposition bloc will lodge a court appeal on Monday to contest an electoral body rejection of calls for a re-run of parliamentary polls, a senior official told AFP.
Medrek has claimed the May 23 vote was riddled with fraud and complained that its observers and supporters were subject to intimidation, but its bid for a re-run was subsequently turned down for lack of evidence.
"We have come to a decision, we are going to the supreme court on Monday to fight against the unjust decision of the National Electoral Board," vice chairman Merara Gudina told AFP.
May 27, 2010
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (AFP)— African Union observers on Thursday said Ethiopia’s parliamentary elections won resoundingly by incumbent Prime Minister Meles Zenawi but disputed by the opposition reflected voters’ will.
The 60-member monitoring team said Ethiopians voted in freedom in Sunday’s polls whose conduct they also praised.
“It is recognised that 2010 Ethiopia’s legislative elections reflected the will of the people,” they said in a statement.
“Conditions existed for voters to freely express their will.”
However, European Union observers said the elections were unfair and lacked political freedom.
Opposition groups have also rejected poll results and called for fresh elections, arguing that the vote was riddled with fraud.
Read more: Ethiopian polls reflect people’s will: African Union monitors
May 26, 2010 | VOA News
Ethiopia's two largest opposition parties denounced the country's recent national elections Wednesday, calling for new vote. International organizations and the United States continue to criticize the election process.
Medrek and the All Ethiopia Unity Party, Ethiopia's two largest opposition parties were crushed in national parliamentary elections a few days ago. But both parties are now saying it is not over yet. They called for new elections, accusing the ruling party of intimidation, fraud, harassment and violence.
Early results show the ruling party, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front, (EPRDF) leading in every corner of the country, and sweeping the capital.
May 26, 2010 | Ethiopian News
May 26, 2010 | AFP
WASHINGTON — The United States vowed Wednesday to press the Ethiopian government to make future elections more inclusive and warned that US-Ethiopian ties depended on tackling the problem.
The US government has already indicated it was "concerned" that Sunday's elections -- which gave long-time ruler Meles Zenawi a landslide win -- appeared to fall short of global standards, even if they were largely peaceful.
State Department spokesman Philip Crowley renewed pressure, urging the Ethiopian government to address not only the circumstances of the weekend elections but also years-long corruption.
"We have a broad and comprehensive relationship with Ethiopia, but we have expressed our concerns on democracy and governance directly to the government," Crowley told reporters.
Read more: US says Ethiopia ties depend on electoral changes
ADDIS ABABA (Reuters
) – Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi rejected opposition calls for a fresh election on Wednesday, after the Europe Union and the United States said his landslide victory did not meet international standards.
However, the 55-year-old leader who came to power in 1991 offered the opposition an olive branch, saying forums may be used to give opponents a say in key legislative proposals and how political parties are funded.
The electoral board said on Tuesday the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) and allied parties had won 534 seats out of 536 declared, giving Meles most seats in the 547-member parliament.
Page 1 of 21