Ethiopia: Gebru Asrat, “Medrek “public relation said “His party has no intention to boycott election”

With Ethiopia’s national election approaching to go, some opposition groups have reportedly begun to hint boycott from the upcoming election, accusing Ethiopian government of already stepping up harassment against them.

Despite opposition’s growing claims of “harassment” and “undemocratic actions” perpetrated up on them by the ruling EPRDF party, Ethiopia’s biggest alliance of opposition political parties on Sunday said that it will contest in the country’s election scheduled for May 2010.

“Currently the party has no intention to boycott election nor did it yet set any preconditions on to it” Gebru Asrat, the person in charge of public relation and vice chairman of the group, Forum for Democratic Dialogue (FDD) told Sudan Tribune.

Gebru Asrat,The Former ally of PM Meles Zenawi,said that his party’s primary efforts are to engage in negotiation with government on key election issues ahead of the election but he said that Prime Minister Meles Zenawi-led government is being reluctant to take his party’s offer.

“We are pushing the ruling party to tolerate negotiations for a binding election rule to be set” Gebru said adding “if a fair and democratic election is to be held in Ethiopia, it will highly depend on whether or not the ruling party is willing to hold talks on the binding law of election.”

FDD is insisting to engage in a pre-election negotiation with the ruling party on 10 key subjects, among which the issues of access to Media for campaigning, supremacy of law, free flow to international observers, establishment of independent electoral board and a stop to harassment on opposition members.

Gebru Asrat further said that the Ethiopian government last month hinted a little interest toward the offer but on second thought changed its minds.

The Ethiopian government has repeatedly guaranteed its commitment to conduct a fair and democratic election but when asked if this is likely, FDD chairman, Dr. Merara Gudina, told Sudan Tribune that he strongly doubts that promise.

“I can’t be certain on that pledge. But with the reality going on ground, a fair and peaceful election is unlikely to happen.” He said adding “Why don’t you go ask the government? The government knows that answer.”

The opposition official further said that his party, Forum for Democratic Dialogue (FDD) has been appealing to the international community to put pressure on the Ethiopian government to stop harassing opposition parties and also to release political prisoners, including potential candidates jailed in the recent “wave of arrests.”

“Calling to the international community is our daily bread but responds we have are either deaf ears or not satisfactory” Dr. Merara added.

Recently the opposition group has accused the Ethiopian government of arresting as much as 480 opposition members on false allegations and the opposition chairman now says that the mass arrests to opposition members, candidates and supporters are still being carried out but on “on and off bases.

Recently FDD, the coalition of 8 Opposition group and two prominent politicians, including former president, has pulled out of talks on election code of conduct, demanding separate talks with government to negotiate on what they said was election binding law.

In an interview, Bereket Simon, government communication office Minister on Thursday said that the opposition group this week has rejected an offer by the government for negotiation.

“We invited the opposition group for a negotiation in the presence of Germany and British Embassies but they declined” Bereket said adding “a party which walks away from a negotiating table doesn’t have a moral right to accuse us for shutting down political space.”

Last month, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi,at a press conference blasted some opposition groups that demanded a release of an opposition leader Birtukan mideksa,as having an intent to discredit the election process from day one.PM Meles stressed that her re-arrest is a legal matter and has no any political motive.

Since last December, Birtukan mideksa is serving a life term in prison for denying a pardon that let her freed in 2007.She was jailed after the 2005 post- election violence – for attempting to overthrow constitutional order.

Source: ST

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