Board issues directive for accreditation of domestic observers,
announces election timetable for students

April 05,2005

The National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEB E) has endorsed a directive for the accreditation of domestic observers who are interested in observing the May 15 national and regional elections. The Board has also announced on election timetable for students of higher learning institutions.

The directive states that domestic observers should be independent and abide by the Board's code of conduct for observers to qualify for NEBE's accreditation. Any institution applying to observe the elections is required to produce evidence stating that observing elections was listed among its objectives, when licensed by the Ministry of Justice or regional authorities.

Applicant institutions are also required to submit to the Board's Secretariat, personal details and residential addresses of individuals whom they assign to observe the elections. Upon the acceptance of the accreditation by the Secretariat, the election observer shall be issued with an accreditation paper and an identification card.

According to the Board's timetable for elections in higher learning institutions, students will be registered from 9-15 April 2005. After the completion of the registration, the electoral roll will be displayed on the premises of the respective institutions on April 16.

The students will cast ballots on May 15 simultaneously with the rest of the national electorate, and the vote count will be carried out at the NEBE's head office starting from May 16.

The NEBE also invited contending parties and independent candidates to observe the registration and polling processes in these institutions by sending their representatives in accordance with the law.

Executive members of the higher learning institutions students' councils and unions had attended a two-day training organized by the Board on the implementation of the on campus elections.