ADDIS ABABA, July 20 (AFP) -- Ethiopia's national election board on Wednesday rejected complaints from 75 constituencies of alleged mass fraud in disputed May elections, after opposition parties called the probes a "complete failure".

The National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) said the complaints, most of which were lodged by the opposition parties, were thrown out because of insufficient evidence.

"The complaints were rejected since they were not substantiated with convincing evidence," NEBE official Mekonnen Woundmu was quoted as saying by the state-run Ethiopian News Agency.

On Tuesday, the opposition Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) and the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF) said the probes into alleged vote fraud had been a "total failure" and accused the government of harassing witnesses to the irregularities.

The parties claimed one witness was killed and 11 others were arrested on Sunday after testifying before a panel set up by the national election board.

"The environment in which the panel conducted the investigation was too flawed to ascertain that there was no vote rigging," CUD vice chairman Berhanu Nega said on Tuesday.

"CUD and UEDF strongly believe that the investigation process was a complete failure," he said in a statement also signed by UEDF vice-chairman Beyene Petros, which claimed that opposition witnesses were being routinely ignored.

"Ninety percent of our complaints are going in favor of the ruling party," Beyene said. "We are being favored in only six percent of what we complained (about), this is one indicator how the NEBE is favouring the ruling party."

With all these intimidation and killings, US, EU and AU should pressure Meles to allow Ethiopian people to revote. If it is good for Ukraine why isn’t good for Ethiopia? Could it be the color of skin and poverty has something to do with it? It is irritating and unfair to say the least.

Dear participants,

Don't take everything what the opposition barks.They are doing it because they badly need each peny coming from the diaspora. so please try to filter such information. I can tell you for sure they blame natural death on the government( a case in point was in debre elias in east gojam).

Be aware not to be traped with such fabricated information.

selam

Email: selam-2005@yahoo.com

City: Addis

Selam,

Let me guess, your news source is Meles. You and GebreMeles can believe this fabricated story. Meles has fooled most to the world leaders to the point of getting undeserved awards. Ethiopians know the truth. Meles is the biggest liar, killer torturer. It is a matter of time the truth will come out. What goes around comes around. God works on his on timetable.

May God bring us real Selam

Pretending to investigate fraud and vote rigging, Zenawi's election board has played out its comedy show and has is about to rubber seal the election for Zenawi.This so called fraud investigation is a shambolic gesture of Zenawi designed to please aid donors. No thing more. The Opposition parties, have shown patience to allow Zenawi to play his dirty game. This outrageous fascist has continued to kill and intimidate witnesses even when the investigation is under way. What is to stop from saying he has won.

Why are the international observers not saying any thing about what is going on. Do n't they have a public cominique? What is their role if they do not have a say in what goes on. Where is their report?

The next step for the Ethiopian people is to intensify the struggle for democracy, fairness and justice and to reclaim their votes. There is no turning back.

The regime has blood on its hands and we can not allow the blood of innocent Ethiopians to be spilt in vain. Zenawi should not be allowed to kill and bury the hopes of our people. The death of our young people is a constant reminder of the danger we face as long as the fascist tyrant remains alive.

Our youth, the majority of whom are left without hope by the regime, cannot expect things to change for the better suddenly after 14 years of neglect. Their fafe has been held back by a regime that believes elementary school training is what it can offer to our youth.

The unemployed in our country who number up to 70% are not going to get employment from a regime that abuses the people by calling the unemployed as looters and robbers, and a regime that d not accept that it is the cause of unemployment.

The peasant farmer who has been made a slave and a tenant to woyane cadres can not expect to get his land back from a fascist regime that uses land and fertiliser as a weapon of subjugation to control the rural population.

The office and factory worker can not expect his rights to be respected by a regime that threatens its work force with the loss of their jobs if they do not give their support to the regime; and a regime that employs spies to control activities of the work force.

Dear Ethiopian:
This is the true bulletin news that BBC and Agence France Press reported. Ethiopia election is going on well and EPRDF is in the leadership. Thanks Meles and on August four, he will get 23 seats because he supported article 39. On the other hand settlers will bit dirt

Email: shirdons@yahoo.com

City: Washington DC

Ibrahim,
The more I read your replies the more I am convinced that you don’t like Ethiopian people. You don’t give a d… to the men, women and children who have been victimized by Meles. It is obvious you only care for Article 39. May God give you a compassion heart. You really need it, for the sake of all of us. You are as cold hearted as Meles is.

“Love must be learned and learned, again and again; there is no end to it. Hate needs no instruction, but waits only to be provoked.”
-Katherine Anne Porter.

KMAA,

Do you think you have any snse of love in your heart. Chavunists like you enjoy subdjucating minorities.
So, you don't have the moral to teach Ibrahim on this issue.You are a power monger and you are ready to repeat what Menilik did to the people in the south and east of our country.

Please accept the existing reality and keep your mouth shut.

Ali,

Email: aliadd-2005@yahoo.com

City: Addis

Ali,
Yes I do have love in my heart. Unlike Meles and your friend Ibrahim, I feel it in my heart when people suffer. I have conscience for others. I have great compassion for others. I hate a person who does harm to others just to benefit him/herself. I despise Meles for everything he stands for. He is a cold-hearted murderer. He does not know what Compassion, Love, Conscience means.

God is a source of Love and Compassion.
Satan is a source of hate, cold-heartedness, causing harm to others and no remorse.

Azenalhu,

Why should US, EU pressure Meles for being a good servant and for protecting their interest? He is possibly their dearest puppy in Africa. Forget the Yara prize,is the dining and smoking cigar with G8 telling you anything?there is only one way to put Meles out of Menilek palace, and that is to relay by the power of Ethiopian people. CUD and others should avoid "BALE WULETA". Otherwise sooner or later it will hurt our country's interest.

BEZA, BEZA,
I share your anger and frustration. The opposition leaders should have cried foul since The National Electoral Board hand picked and appointed by Meles. Meles even admitted this on BBC. How could we expect a fair election?

It would have been helpful instead of lip service if EU, and US strongly involved in Ethiopia as they did in Ukraine to solve this problem peacefully.

Meles has been robbing Ethiopia for the last 14 years getting his own army ready and has tons of money. Don’t you think it takes tons of money and years of preparation to fight this animal? By the time you are ready in five years Meles will divide Ethiopia in ethnic groups and live in Mekalae as an Emperor. (I hope the Tigray people stand against this animal) I believe that is his vision. If he cares for Ethiopia he wouldn’t have treated Ethiopian people like a piece of trash dropping their body on the street.

KMAA,

If you realy belive in GOD(ALAH), you wouldn't have hated Meles.
GOD says you should show love even to your enemies. So, you have failed the crusial test of GOD.BE assured that so deep hatred will lead you to satanism.

May GODhelp you to come to your srnses!

Ali

Email: aliadd-2005@yahoo.com

City: Addis

My dear Ali,
After Menegestu’s regime Ethiopian people accepted Meles with open arms in the hopes he would be their good and fair leader. Ethiopian people gave Meles 14 years to show them what they were anticipating. But no my dear, Meles fooled them. He is a tyrant, cruel, and a cold-blooded murderer. Can you imagine if he was a fair-minded kind leader with his smarts where Ethiopia would be? Ethiopia could have been the most peaceful and prosperous country. Instead Meles and his cronies robbed Ethiopia blind. Haven’t you seen the list of milliners of Meles and his friends? Haven’t you heard Meles and his gangs have been stashing money in foreign banks while Ethiopian people dying of hunger and diseases? Haven’t you seen the pictures of wounded and dead bodies of Ethiopian people killed in the broad daylight? Haven’t you heard about that Ethiopian mother who lost two of her sons at her front door the same day? Meles cruelty is endless.

Meles is the one who came with a big bag of hate in his heart and he has proven it. After we witness and heard what he had done yes most of us with a conscious mind hate Meles. You know what I hate Hitler too.

Yes I believe in God/Allah that is why I hate evil doings.

KMAA,

I was thought you were a man of reason and fact. You are saying Meles has stolen millions from his country.You don't know Meles. He is not a person of that kind.You can't provr it with sheer evidence. That is a clear blackmail by the ethiomedia people. I sware he has no penny in foreign banks. I am ready to give my life if can prove that information. Pleaser don't swallow such evil minded people.

With respect the victory by Eprdf, I can assure you that it was the result of our peasants not of Adiis people. Don't you remember the University students rallied in support of the Dergue even at the last breath of that regime. And be assured that those who liberated Ethiopia from the dicatator are still behind Meles. Please think towice before you utter your hateful words.

Please again give the the credit of our democratization to Melr's party and the peasants who uprooted the dergue. Both are intact on their conviction and i don't care abount the chameleon character of some elites in the cities.

Ali,

Email: aliadd-2005@yahoo.com

City: Addis

Ali,
You swear to the point of giving your life to prove that Meles doesn’t have money in foreign banks. What is your proof? I didn’t know I was talking to a child that was born yesterday. One more thing to tell you my poor child, Ali, Have you heard that Meles and his wife have a rental property valued at $5,000,000.00(five million) in New York.

Thanks for letting me know that you are a grand child of Ibrahim. You are both blind for justice. You both love a dictator. May God/Allah give you compassion for others. I mean this from the bottom of my heart.

See you in the next life.

KMAA,

Allegations over allegations don't help you convince others.I was expecting you to prove me the bank accounts of Meles. But, you came with another fabricated information. Do you think we shall swallow all your garbage information.

The problem with people like you is that you just work hard to silence any voice against you.Likewise, you leveled me as a kid that has no moral ground to challenge you.

Anway, I just want a prove for the allegetion.Don't come up with another lies. Please stick to the point of looted money in foriegn back and give a sheer evidence of it.

Ali

Email: aliadd-2005@yahoo.com

City: Addis

The next move

Pretending to investigate fraud and vote rigging, Zenawi and his election board who are both the judge and the jury of the investigations continue to manufacture crimes, accusations and pretexts to arrest, harass and murder witnesses, Opposition party supporters and party leaders. The fraud investigation is nothing more than a shambolic gesture by Zenawi designed to cover up his evil design and to please aid donor countries who seem to be ever willing and happy to be hoodwinked by Zenawi, whilst ignoring the glaring brutality committed on the Ethiopian people. It is an empty talk and window dressing and has achieved no thing to address the cries of our people for justice and democracy. What we have witnessed is the outrageous dictator continuing to kill and intimidate witnesses even when the so called investigation is under way.

Why are the international observers not saying any thing about what is going on. What is their role if they do not have a say in what goes on. Where is their report?

The Ethiopian people should continue to intensify the peaceful struggle for democracy, fairness and justice and to ensure that their votes count. There is no turning back. The peaceful non-violent struggle is the only way to do it.
The Ethiopian people have shown their civility, love for their country and their support for one another. The peaceful demonstrations held before the election and that of June the 8th 2005, is a manifestation of their unity and power that has sent shockwaves and tremors to the enemies of our people. No amount of guns, violence and brutality by Zenawi’s regime can equal the peaceful protest and power of the Ethiopian people.

The regime has blood on its hands and we can not allow the blood of innocent Ethiopians to be spilled in vain. The trigger happy Zenawi should not be allowed to kill and bury the hopes of our people with armed violence. The death of our young people is a constant reminder of the danger we face as long as the fascist tyrant remains in power.
Any other course of action other than the continued struggle for democracy can not be contemplated, and the reason for this is clear:

-After 14 years of neglect, our youth, the majority of whom have been left by the regime to beg on the street corners of every town and city in the country, without hope and a future, expect things to change for the better. Their fate has been held back by a regime that deliberately limits the education of young people to the level of elementary school.

-The government has been continually attacking and murdering students who have always stood alongside the Ethiopian people. Zenawi is mercilessly killing the bright and most able youngsters who carry the hopes and futures of our country not to mention the hopes and futures of their own families who also rely for support on them. The regime has no respect for the dignity of human life.

-The unemployed in our country who number up to 70% have been left to suffer and condemned to live in deprivation mocked by the regime as looters and robbers. The regime has failed to shoulder its responsibility for the people and does not even accept that it is the cause of the massive unemployment.

-The peasant farmer who has been made a slave and a tenant to woyane chieftains and land lords can not expect to get his land back from a fascist regime that uses land and fertilizer as a weapon of subjugation to control the rural population. The regime that has burned down villages and massacred innocent peasant farmers and their families on reprisals for the election defeat will only continue to be more repressive and atrocious.

-The office and factory worker can not expect his right to be respected by a regime that threatens its work force with dismissal if they do not give their support to the regime; and from a regime that employs spies to control activities of the work force.
The political opposition, journalists, civic organizations know full well what their fate is- constant abuse ,threats, house arrests, intimidation, murders, fines etc

The peaceful struggle for democracy, justice and fairness, that exploded in May 2005 must continue. Boycotts of trade, goods, shops, transport, products, stoppage of work, withdrawing cooperation at work place, peaceful protest rallies are some of the actions with which we can express our outrage and disgust against the violent and brutal regime.

The Ethiopian people, have the power to paralyze the country in a well coordinated strike action and peaceful demonstrations both inside and outside Ethiopia