NEBE Finalizes Preparations for 15 May Elections

13 May 2005

Polling station officials throughout Ethiopia are finalizing arrangements for Sunday’s elections to the House of Peoples’ Representatives and Regional Councils, the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) announced today.

NEBE Secretariat Deputy Head, Tesfaye Mengesha said election materials including ballot papers, ballot boxes and keys, voter-marking ink, posters and other materials have been distributed to 31,000 polling stations across the country.

Polling stations will open at 12 in the morning Ethiopian time (6a.m. European time) and close at 12 in the evening (6p.m. European time).

The election administration today advised voters to ensure that they bring their electors’ cards and identity documents to the polling stations to cast their ballots.

More than 25 million people have registered to vote in the two separate elections being held tomorrow to elect representatives to the 547-seat House of People’s Representatives (HPR) and Regional Councils.

Voters will be issued with two ballot papers each, a blue one for the House of People’s Representatives and a green one for their Regional Council. Voters will mark the ballot papers in a secret voting booth. They will elect only one among the candidates for the HPR, while the number of candidates for Regional Councils vary according to the number of seats in the councils.

Weak and blind voters may bring assistants to help them cast their ballots.

Voters will have their thumbs marked with purple ink which cannot be washed off, a measure aimed at guarding against multiple voting. Electors can put an ‘X’ or ‘•’ mark on the space in their ballot papers corresponding to the names and symbols of candidates who they support. The ballot is in secret and voters are not obliged to reveal who they voted for.

The Chairman of the NEBE, Kemal Bedri, encouraged all eligible voters to go to the polls to exercise their democratic rights. “We also encourage voters to take their time and ask questions from polling station staff who are there to assist them. Our staff are trained to help people who are carrying out this important civic duty.”

Elections in the Somali state will take place in August. The elections there have been deferred as the pastoralist way of life of the Somali people requires intensive use of the Board’s resources.

For further information please contact:

Press Officer: Getahun Amogne Tel: 251-9-643738
Assistant Press Officer: Hiwot Alemayehu Tel: 251-9-487576
E-mail us: info@electionsethiopia.org
www.electionsethiopia.org