Parliamentary elections in Ethiopia (2010)

(NEBE) reported that a total of 29,170,867 voters were registered at these elections, ^[7] for which 43,000 polling stations were opened. ^[3] 6,939 candidates from 63 political parties applied for 547 parliamentary seats, while only 28 parties participated in the 2005 elections. ^[3] Most of the candidates were represented by the ruling party RDFEN - 501, the main opposition force of the country, the coalition - 421 candidates. ^{[3] The} 4,500 deputy seats of the regional assemblies were challenged by 4,525 applicants, including 1,349 from the ruling RDFEN, 374 members of front-allied parties, 2,798 candidates of opposition parties and 4 independent candidates. ^[eight]

The ruling RDFEN and opposition parties signed the Code of Conduct for Elections. They agreed on the temporary distribution of the media, although opposition leaders complained about the time allotted to them, saying that it was not fair for the ruling party to take the largest share of time. Public television showed pre-election debates. One of the opposition parties, the (AEUP), expressed its grave concern and refused to debate, demanding that they be broadcast live and with the presence of the public.

On April 13, 2010, the US State Department , based on facts about violence related to the previous general elections, recommended abandoning trips to Ethiopia during the period “before and after the national parliamentary elections scheduled for May 23, 2010”. The trip warning stated that “US citizens [should] ... maintain a high level of security awareness at all times and avoid political rallies, demonstrations and crowds of any kind. US citizens should avoid polling stations on election day and be aware that authorities will strictly comply with specific bans, such as taking photos at polling stations. ” ^[9]

Opposition activists expressed their concern that the elections would lead to violence and that their supporters would be arrested and imprisoned. The leader of the leading opposition party reportedly told US diplomats that "activists of the in " attacked members of the opposition party and destroyed their cars when they tried to register candidates in this section. Ethiopia. ^[10] The leader of the opposition Party stated that since the ruling rDFEN now controls all local administrations, these elections will be a struggle to ensure that Ethiopia does not become a one-party state . ^{[11] [12]}

According to preliminary results published by the Electoral Council, from the very beginning of the counting of votes, the RDFEN was confidently leading in all regions of Ethiopia. ^[13] The announcement of the final election results in accordance with the electoral legislation is scheduled for June 21 . ^{[3] The} Chairman of the Electoral Council, Merg Bekan, stated that the front “definitely” won the election, taking the lead in 9 of the 11 regions that presented the results, including in the former Oromia opposition region. ^{[14] [15]} Human Rights Watch stated that the results were distorted by government intimidation of voters for several months. ^[16] European Union observers stated that the elections were “peaceful and calm”, but noted a number of complaints of violations. ^[14]

Opposition groups rejected the election results, the coalition and the All-Ethiopian Unity Party called for a re-election. Both opposition groups stated that their observers were not allowed to go to the polls during the elections on Sunday, May 23, and in some cases were beaten. The United States and the European Union have criticized the elections as not conforming to international standards. ^[17] However, Ethiopian government officials upheld the fairness of the elections, saying that their results accurately reflected the mood of the voters. The Ambassador of Ethiopia in the United Kingdom, Berkhan Kebede, said that voters rewarded Meles Zenawi and his party for their achievements. “The government pursued a successful development and growth policy. Over the past seven years, double-digit growth has been observed. Significantly improved enrollment in and health care . Over the past 10 years, more investment has been made in infrastructure than in the previous 100. " ^[18]

On June 21, 2010, NEBE published the final election results, which confirmed the preliminary results for the previous month. ^[19] A total of 91.95% of the voters who came to the polls voted for the ruling party and its allies, while only 8.05% were given to the opposition all over the country. As a result, the RDNEF won 499 of 547 seats in the lower house of the Ethiopian parliament (91.23%), 46 more seats went to frontline allies, which allowed supporters of the government to take over 99% of all seats, while opposition and independent candidates took just two places. ^{[20] [21]} In addition, the RDNEF and its allies won all but one of the 1,904 mandates in the regional elections. ^[20] The opposition appealed to the Electoral Council and the Federal Court of Ethiopia, but both appeals were rejected. ^[20] On July 20, the Court of Cassation, the highest court of Ethiopia, rejected the opposition’s final appeal. ^[22]

House of Representatives

Regional assemblies

Independent observation of the vote was strictly limited. Ethiopian authorities allowed only observers from Europe and the countries of the African Union to vote, while their activities were restricted, in particular, some of them were not allowed to go to the polls. Independent observers, who were still allowed access to the voting process and the counting of votes, did not question the victory of the RDFEN, yet enough evidence was gathered that the actions of the Ethiopian authorities, including the intimidation of candidates and opposition supporters, influenced the election results. ^[21]

European observers said the elections did not meet international standards. Thus, the authorities did not bother to create an environment conducive to free and fair elections. RDFEN, I am the ruling party, limited the political space for opposition candidates and activists. At the local level, thousands of opposition activists complained of ill-treatment by the authorities, ranging from harassment with the submission of candidate forms and ending with attacks by front-line supporters. ^[21]

According to Human Rights Watch , the ruling party pursued a policy of systematically closing the space for political dissent and independent criticism. ^[25] According to Amnesty International , the final report of the EU Election Observation Mission noted violations of the freedom of expression, assembly and movement of members of the opposition party; abuse of state resources by the ruling party; lack of independent media coverage. Prime Minister Meles Zenawi called the report “useless trash”, and the EU’s main observer was not given access to Ethiopia to present the final report. ^[26]

• National Election Board of Ethiopia