They better participate or else!? Has NEB gone mad like Meles
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ENA - August 19

http://www.ethpress.gov.et/Herald/articleDetail.asp?articleid=18009

National Electoral Board (NEB)rejects three parties’ Somali election boycott Postpones ballot casting in four woredas for a week

Addis Ababa - The National Electoral Board of Ethiopia announced that the decision of three political parties to boycott the elections to be held in the Somali State tomorrow was not acceptable.

The Board rejected the decision of the Western Somali Democratic Party, the Coalition for Somali Democratic Forces and the Dil-Wabi Peoples’ Democratic Movement after reviewing their decision at a meeting it held here yesterday.

The Board passed the decision for the parties or the candidates themselves had not returned the latter’s IDs to the constituencies.

The Board further said that the Dil-Wabi Peoples’ Democratic Movement has particularly failed to fix its seal to the August 16,2005 letter.

Meanwhile, the NEBE said that ballot casting in polling stations set up in four of the eight woredas of Fik Zone, has been postponed for a week.

Accordingly, the Board decided in its regular meeting yesterday that the ballot casting would take place in Segeg, Dihun, Gerbo, and Meyu-Mulkie woredas Aug. 28,2005.

Board Deputy Head Tesfaye Mengesha told ENA that the Board postponed the date for the registration of voters in the three woredas began late.

Tesfaye said that the ballot casting in Meyu-Mulkie Woreda would also be held August 28, 2005 information about the electorate in the woreda has not be received on time.

The Board has also decided the registration of voters in Segeg, Dihun, and Gerbo woredas continue until August 25, 2005.

Ballot casting in the remaining woredas of Fik and other zones would be held August 25, 2005 as scheduled, he said.

Also yesterday the Board confirmed that Electoral Reform International Services (ERIS), which is coordinating donor funding for elections in Ethiopia, has provided goods and services worth 260,000 birr to political parties that fielded their candidates for the election.

It said ERIS has also been printing 1,000 posters each for independent candidates running in the state’s election.

ERIS, which has been providing election reform services internationally, told ENA yesterday that the fund was provided particularly for political parties that fielded candidates running for seats in the House of Peoples’ Representatives and independent candidates.

ERIS said the fund was provided from international donors through the United Nations Development Progr- amme (UNDP).

Among the political parties that benefitted from the fund, the Somali People’s Democratic Party (SPDP), which fielded 23 candidates to contest for seats in the Federal Parliament and the Western Somali Democratic Party (WSDP), which fielded 15 candidates to vie for seats in the HPR got 80,000 birr each.

Similarly, the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) and the Dil-Wabi Peoples’ Democratic Movement (DWPDM) that fielded nine and eight candidates to vie for seats in the HPR respectively were provided goods and services worth of 40,000 birr each.

The Somali Democratic Alliance Forces (SDAF) and the All Ethiopian National Movement (AENM) have obtained 10,000 birr each. Each of the two parties fielded two candidates for the House of Peoples Representatives. ERIS said the goods and services that would be available to political parties include, among others, printing (posters/fliers), T-shirts, baseball caps, flags, TV and radio airtime, TV and radio production costs, megaphones and transport costs.

Meanwhile, many opposition candidates seem to have decided not to follow their leaders of call for boycott and are campaigning, BBC reported. Some three opposition parties have called for a boycott of the polls in the Somali State.

After interviewing candidates of the opposition parties, BBC’s “Focus on Africa” said yesterday that the candidates decided not to withdraw when it is only a few days to the election’s day.

They said they would not boycott as they have invested so much in the campaigns.

The candidates said their names are already on the ballot papers and boycotting would let their people down.

The candidates also said they are going on the campaign trail, according to BBC.

(ENA)