By Abebe Gelaw
August 26--The National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE), which has been accused of being a tool of the ruling party, issued a statement yesterday to the Ethiopian News Agency alleging that the EU observers’ hard-hitting preliminary report was contradictory.

The board told ENA, one of the mouthpieces of the ruling party, that the European Election Observation Mission report was “unacceptable.” NEBE claimed that the report indicated that EU EOM had received reports of intimidations against opposition witnesses, representatives and members. “This makes the neutrality of EOM questionable,” it said. But this assertion raises doubts over the fairness of NEBE’s allegations, as it seems totally unaware of the widely reported post-election crackdown on opposition leaders, supporters and sympathizers throughout the country.

NEBE appeared to be angered and upset with the failure of EU EOM to praise and applaud a clearly fraudulent election that culminated in killings, intimidation and mass arrests. According to NEBE, the chief observer had presented a report contrary to the code of conduct that the mission should be governed with.

The EU EOM had raised concerns over the duplication of power enjoyed by Ato Kemal Bedri, Chairman of the election Board and President of the Federal Supreme Court. The report said: “The opposition may appeal NEBE’s decisions on the CIPs conclusions to the Courts. Nevertheless, the chairman of the National Election Board, Ato Kemal Bedri, is the same person who chairs the Supreme Court.

“Despite his efforts to uphold an independent and legally grounded arbitration within NEBE, that coincidence of offices does not encourage public trust in an independent review by NEBE or, actually, the Courts. The opposition parties and other observers, who charged since the electoral campaign that NEBE was not independent, perceived it worsening at the appeals stage, also pointing out that there is no clear separation of power between the Judiciary and the Executive.”

In response to this crucial point, NEBE alleged that the report “belittled the role of the courts that the opposition parties, in their declaration and statements, agreed to accept.”

In the preliminary report, which is a significant vindication for voters across the country, EU EOM detailed a catalogue of irregularities and flaws that transpired during the election process that led the mission to conclude that the elections “did not live up to international standards and to the aspirations of Ethiopians for democracy.

Meanwhile, the public media and pro-TPLF websites, which are managed by diehard cadres, have continued a vilification campaign against the chief EU observer, Mrs Ana Gomes. The Ethiopian Herald ignored the joint Statement by European Commissioners Benita Ferrero-Waldner, head of External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy and Louis Michel, head of Development and Humanitarian Aid, concerning a defamatory Article published in the Ethiopian Herald.

“We are deeply surprised and concerned about a defamatory article that appeared in the Ethiopian Herald on 17 August criticising Ana Gomes MEP, Chief Observer for the European Union Election Observation Mission, and Tim Clarke, Head of the European Commission Delegation,” the statement said.

The article at the centre of the row, “Gomes, Clarke: neutral observers or hidden dealers,” made a number of wildly libellous allegations and innuendos. It alleges, among other things, that Ms Gomes has made a deal with opposition leaders for a twenty per cent share of all the funds raised from the Ethiopian Diaspora. It is widely believed that the slanderous article was written by a top official under a pseudonym, Ejigu Hailemariam, with no credit of any other articles to his name.

“The allegations made in the article are completely without foundation and are totally unacceptable. Both Ms Gomes and Mr Clarke are people of integrity who have played a very important role, in their respective mandates, throughout this difficult election process.”

Adding insult to injury, the Ethiopian Herald, managed by diehard cadres at the Ethiopian Press Agency, published the Commissioners’ statement in its letters column without offering any apologies. One of the problems mentioned to have undermined the election process was the misuse of the public media by the ruling party.

The report said: “Tension was exacerbated by the fact that, since polling day, public demonstrations were banned and media openness ceased, with the official media back under the tight control and spinning of the ruling party and opposition parties denied access to them. Also journalists were intimidated and arrested. The Government, in the meantime, rejected to agree on a code of conduct for the free and responsible operation of the media. The governmental control of state media compromises the credibility of the electoral process since May 15, in light of international standards for democratic elections and impacts negatively in the public confidence in the electoral process.”

This is another hard blow to what many call the “Ministry of Misinformation” whose second-rate propaganda is putting more soot on the already tarnished image of the Meles regime.

The chief EU observer told journalists in yesterday’s press conference held at the Sheraton Addis that she was considering a legal action against the public media that had tried to blackmail her. Mrs. Gomez quipped that the case would be a test on the independence of the judiciary.

Nobody belies Mr. Kemal and his board. They should cry forever.

How stupid, moron he is.

Adding insult to media, this propoganda minister is tarnishing everything. His own action exposed him how he lie and manipulate the media to label others.

Thanks god. They are all naked. It's starting ...They should pay the price for what they destruct.

long live ethiopia.

The remedy for this problem is to re-run the election.
They know for a fact they will loose. No one in the world with their right mind will vote for these killers.

It's so like Woyane mentality to go after any flicker to truth and to go after their credibility...shame on Bereket Ertrawi for saying she's unprofessional! How dare he! Fortunatley, for Ana Gomez, she has an incredible integrity of works that she has done on behalf of the EU for years. They are trying to make themselves as perfect and it's always everybody's fault! Never Woyane! These people make me sick!

They blamed the violence (totally Meles' design) on the opposition, they blamed the Eritrean situation on (Amhara's or King Menilik), they blamed every failure that they had on anybody but themselves...it is clear that they'll dream of destroying Ethiopia and blame it on Ethiopians themselves, what a bunch of banda's!!

It's apparent these Eritreans/Woyanes are there til the death to do everything they can to destroy all the good in Ethiopia! Too bad they are losin ground and credibility!

Bereket Simon, your days are coming sooner then you think the more you keep this up, lier!

I posted earlier that the opposition has to make real choices that brings tangible result. What ever they decide, we will stand behind them. Some good news from Mrs. Gomez should be followed by some measures from the opposition. The likes of Ankasa Doro AKA Mamo are waiting for miracle from the genius of opposition. I exactly can sense the dilemma of the opposition. CUD and UEDF new resolutions gives me a bit hope but I want to see some action. I want to retract my previous writing about Dr. Berhanu Nega because of few facts I learned that should not be made public. He did what he did and the leadership stood behind him and Dr. Beyene as well. So lets us focus back about Meles.

VJ,

I have respect for you. Your reaction on the first joint CUD and UEDF was premature and failed to read the astute politics the opposition was playing. They have now put Meles in a bad corner. Internationally the opposition is seen as flexible and peaceful. This strengthen the opposition's stand. And they did so without giving any moral or principal ground to Meles and company. You came short of appologyzing, but you are the only one who admited that you were wrong.

I am not waiting and hoping for a miracle. For me it was clear that the opposition new that Meles would not accept their joint proposal. For God's sake they work with Meles and company on the ground. In the last six weeks the opposition has flipped the table on Meles. Tell me who is playing smart politics. This did not happen by miracle. This happens by design. I saw it and you and Yilma and Ethiopian did not. Sorry to be blant.

The Mamo Qilo

Now TPLF is even saying that EU is responsible for the June 8th massacre. They have gone mad!!!!

I am actually getting to enjoy seeing TPLF loosing their mind. Who are they going to blame next.

I do hope this whole madness will end soon, it is not nice not knowing what is going to happen next. I know for sure TPLF will not rule dear old Ethiopia not after what they have done. If we the peope accept them again it means we will be going back to the dark ages.

City: AA

Mina, me too.

They are running out of time and out of context. Fully naked. meles will do something to this man and as ususal he will throw him out for his own survival, or the parilament will throw both.

Anyhow, people in TPLF WILL DO SOMETHING, SOON. THEY ARE IN A BIG MESS. My fellow tigreans are tired of THESE shabiya man. THEY WILL ACT, NOW.