The National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) Friday accused the government of committing arbitrary arrest, intimidating and harassing leaders of opposition political parties and their leadership.
NEBE said the government’s illegal actions are making it difficult for the board to discharge its legally prescribed basic mandates and responsibilities.
Officials of the NEBE made the latest allegations after political parties were unable to hold general assemblies due to government pressure this month.
All political parties in Ethiopia must periodically hold a general assembly as per the Ethiopian Electoral, Political Parties Registration and Elections Code of Conduct law and the parties’ bylaws.
“However, the parties are increasingly prevented from renting or using meeting halls that they have rented for holding their general meetings,” the board alleged.
“Members and leaders of political parties have also faced detention, intimidation, and harassment before and after their parties have held general meetings.”
The board used what happened to Enat Party, Balderas for a True Democracy, and Gogot for Gurage Unity and Justice Party (Gogot) when attempting to hold their general meetings as a case in point.
As per the parties’ claims confirmed by the NEBE observers, the three parties were either prevented from holding or their officials got arrested after holding the general assembly.
Enat Party was prevented from holding its general meeting at the St. Trinity University Hall on March 5, by the order of an official whose identity is yet to be ascertained, according to the national electoral board.
Balderas for a Genuine Democracy was also prevented from holding its general meeting.
In this case, the board says it was due to the owners/administrators of Gambella Hotel, where the general meeting was supposed to be held, “were threatened by an unnamed state official [not to rent a meeting hall to the party].”
The coordinators of the Gogot were also arrested on 13 March by members of the federal police a day after the party held its general meeting and then transferred to the Southern South Nations Nationalities and Peoples region (SNNPR) state police.
These acts, the board said in a statement, are “unacceptable regardless of who committed them,” stating that holding a general meeting is among the basic political activities that a political party is supposed to conduct.
MG/as/APA