NEBE Holds First Press Conference

29 March 2005

The National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) held its first press conference on Monday March 28th at NEBE headquarters in Addis Ababa, presenting an overview of the election process so far, with seven weeks to go before polling day. The event also marked the launch of the new press and public information Unit and website. It was attended by some 100 people, including journalists from 25 local and international media outlets, and several international organizations. This was the first in a series of planned media events.

The event included presentations by NEBE Chairman Kemal Bedri, Deputy Head of the NEBE Secretariat Tesfaye Mengesha, and Acting Registrar of Political parties Registration office, Mekonnen Wondimu.

In his opening remarks, Kemal Bedri said that so far the registration of voters and candidates has been completed successfully. A total of over 25.6 million people have been registered thought the country except the Somali State where elections will take place in August.

Kemal also indicated that a total of 1,845 and 3,662 candidates have been registered to contest seats in the House of peoples’ Representatives and regional councils respectively. Some 423 of the candidates for federal and state legislatures are independent, while the remaining are fielded by 35 political parties.

Officials of the Board said that about 50 complaints related to the registration of voters and candidates had been lodged with the Board, and immediate decisions had already been issued.

The Board has annulled the candidates’ registration in Ge’gera district of the Hadya Zone, after discovering that multiple elector’s cards had been given to voters as well as to children, who are not eligible to vote.

“A member of the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF), an opposition party, was also found to be involved in this unlawful act. The perpetrators of the crime are currently under police investigation, and will be brought before the court of justice,” stated Mr Badri.

Asked about observers, Kemal said that EU monitors have started to arrive in Ethiopia, and the Carter Center in the US has confirmed that it will also send observers. The Board is still working out criteria for the accreditation of domestic observers.

Officials of the Board also announced that students from higher learning institutions were now allowed to vote for candidates in constituencies where they come from, at polling stations to be established on their campuses.

Officials also responded to various questions from journalists relating to the independence of the Board, parties’ campaign ethics as well as the registration of the ex-president of the country as an independent candidate.