Ethiopian by-elections, 2008
Encyclopedia
Ethiopia
held nation-wide elections for local offices in the kebele
and woreda
assemblies on 13 and 20 April 2008. By-elections were also held for seats in the Addis Ababa
City Council, and in the national and regional parliaments that were vacant due to the Coalition for Unity and Democracy
’s (CUD) refusal to participate at the same time. By law, the local elections were supposed to be held as part of the 2005 general elections, but due to the resulting unrest they were postponed.
While the international community was a significant player in the 2005 elections, in this election they were on the sidelines. In a letter sent to a group of nations providing foreign aid to Ethiopia
, of 26 December 2007, three party leaders -- Beyene Petros
(United Ethiopian Democratic Forces
), Temesken Zewdie (CUD), and Bulcha Demeksa
(Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement
) -- desperately pleaded for their intervention: "We are drawing your attention to this critical matter of election observing because we are afraid that the manner in which the NEB
is currently running the process leading up to the elections is predictably a way to a non-consensual election outcome." Possible pressure by donor countries on the Ethiopian government was neutralized by the desire to fulfill the Millennium Development Goals
, a fact which the government knows well. When a group of donor countries tried to play hard-ball with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi
and suspended money payments in the aftermath of the 2005 election, he calmly told them to pack up and go home if they weren’t interested in supporting the development of the country. "After a few weeks," notes Aalen and Tronvoll, "all donor countries caved in and resumed full development assistance to the country."
(EPRDF), regained control of the Addis Ababa city council, and won all but one of the 39 parliamentary by-elections. In local elections, the EPRDF won more than 3.5 million of the 3.6 million open seats. The National Elections Board of Ethiopia reported the turnout was 93% of eligible voters.
Although this was the first election in Ethiopia since the tumultuous 2005 general election, several opposition parties sat out the election. Bulcha Demeksa, said his party had only been able to put forward 2% of the 6,000 candidates it wanted to because they had been threatened by government supporters. Likewise, another opposition party, the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces
said that of its 20,000 candidates who attempted to register, only 10,000 succeeded, and only 6,000 of those actually had their names placed on the lists at polling stations.
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
held nation-wide elections for local offices in the kebele
Kebele
A kebele is the smallest administrative unit of Ethiopia similar to ward, a neighbourhood or a localized and delimited group of people...
and woreda
Woreda
Woreda is an administrative division of Ethiopia , equivalent to a district . Woredas are composed of a number of Kebele, or neighborhood associations, which are the smallest unit of local government in Ethiopia...
assemblies on 13 and 20 April 2008. By-elections were also held for seats in the Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
City Council, and in the national and regional parliaments that were vacant due to the Coalition for Unity and Democracy
Coalition for Unity and Democracy
The Coalition for Unity and Democracy is a coalition of four existing political parties of Ethiopia which combined to compete for seats in the Ethiopian General Elections held on May 15, 2005. Its leader is Dr...
’s (CUD) refusal to participate at the same time. By law, the local elections were supposed to be held as part of the 2005 general elections, but due to the resulting unrest they were postponed.
Background
This election was important for the victors would control the local government structures, the kebeles and woredas, which are the key institutions for controlling local communities and are the main service providers. "For members of the local councils," writes Aalen and Tronvoll, "re-election is a matter of keeping their daily bread; and for new candidates, membership in one of the councils is viewed as a way of getting access to scarce state resources."While the international community was a significant player in the 2005 elections, in this election they were on the sidelines. In a letter sent to a group of nations providing foreign aid to Ethiopia
Foreign aid to Ethiopia
After World War II, Ethiopia began to receive economic development aid from the more affluent Western countries. Originally the United Kingdom was the primary source of this aid, but they withdrew in 1952, to be replaced by the United States...
, of 26 December 2007, three party leaders -- Beyene Petros
Beyene Petros
Professor Beyene Petros Lodamo is a professor at Addis Ababa University and a member of the Ethiopian House of People's Representatives, representing an electoral district in Badawacho of Hadiya Zone....
(United Ethiopian Democratic Forces
United Ethiopian Democratic Forces
The United Ethiopian Democratic Forces is a coalition of several existing political parties of Ethiopia which combined to compete for seats in the Ethiopian General Elections held on May 15, 2005....
), Temesken Zewdie (CUD), and Bulcha Demeksa
Bulcha Demeksa
Bulcha Demeksa is an outspoken Ethiopian politician and businessman, and founded one of the largest opposition parties in that country, the Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement. In 1967 he was appointed vice-minister of Finance before representing his country at the board of the World Bank...
(Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement
Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement
The Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement is a political party in Ethiopia, created to further the interests of the Oromo people.At the last legislative elections, on 15 May 2005, the party won 11 seats, all from the Oromia Region. The party Whip is Mesfin Nemera Deriesa from the Mirab Welega Zone...
) -- desperately pleaded for their intervention: "We are drawing your attention to this critical matter of election observing because we are afraid that the manner in which the NEB
National Election Board of Ethiopia
The National Election Board of Ethiopia is an autonomous government agency which supervises the national elections of Ethiopia. The NEBE was established by Proclamation number 64/1992, and answers to the House of Peoples' Representatives....
is currently running the process leading up to the elections is predictably a way to a non-consensual election outcome." Possible pressure by donor countries on the Ethiopian government was neutralized by the desire to fulfill the Millennium Development Goals
Millennium Development Goals
The Millennium Development Goals are eight international development goals that all 193 United Nations member states and at least 23 international organizations have agreed to achieve by the year 2015...
, a fact which the government knows well. When a group of donor countries tried to play hard-ball with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi
Meles Zenawi
Meles Zenawi Asres is the Prime Minister of Ethiopia. Since 1985, he has been chairman of the Tigrayan Peoples' Liberation Front , and is currently head of the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front .Meles was born in Adwa, Tigray in Northern Ethiopia, to an Ethiopian father from...
and suspended money payments in the aftermath of the 2005 election, he calmly told them to pack up and go home if they weren’t interested in supporting the development of the country. "After a few weeks," notes Aalen and Tronvoll, "all donor countries caved in and resumed full development assistance to the country."
Results
The ruling party, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic FrontEthiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front
The Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front is the ruling political coalition in Ethiopia. It is an alliance of four other groups: the Oromo Peoples' Democratic Organization , the Amhara National Democratic Movement , the South Ethiopian Peoples' Democratic Front The Ethiopian People's...
(EPRDF), regained control of the Addis Ababa city council, and won all but one of the 39 parliamentary by-elections. In local elections, the EPRDF won more than 3.5 million of the 3.6 million open seats. The National Elections Board of Ethiopia reported the turnout was 93% of eligible voters.
Although this was the first election in Ethiopia since the tumultuous 2005 general election, several opposition parties sat out the election. Bulcha Demeksa, said his party had only been able to put forward 2% of the 6,000 candidates it wanted to because they had been threatened by government supporters. Likewise, another opposition party, the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces
United Ethiopian Democratic Forces
The United Ethiopian Democratic Forces is a coalition of several existing political parties of Ethiopia which combined to compete for seats in the Ethiopian General Elections held on May 15, 2005....
said that of its 20,000 candidates who attempted to register, only 10,000 succeeded, and only 6,000 of those actually had their names placed on the lists at polling stations.
External links
- The National Electoral Board of Ethiopia Official Result of the Local and By-Elections Held on April 13 and April 20, 2008, Walta Information CenterWalta Information CenterWalta Information Center is a private news and information service that is based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.-External links:*...
website