The opposition parties in Ethiopia on Tuesday threatened to boycott national election scheduled for next year if the government does not make changes to an electoral law which they claim is biased towards the ruling party, reported Reuters.
Notably, none of the parliamentary elections in Ethiopia since the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) took power in 1991 were competitive, with the exception of the 2005 election. The EPRDF appointed Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed last year after three years of anti-government protests, promising reforms including a credible competitive and fair poll in 2020.
But, last month, the ruling government made some changes to the election law in parliament, which made it difficult for opposition parties to contest the election. One of the changes made to the election law raised the number of signatures to register a national party up from 1,500 to 10,000 and the number of signatures required by regional parties up from 750 to 4,000. Another law amendment requires civil servants running for office to take leave without pay.
“The law was approved in a rush without addressing our demands,” said Girma Bekele, vice chairman of the Joint Council of Political Parties representing 107 opposition groups. “If (the law) is going to be applied without addressing our concerns, it will be repeating what has happened in the previous elections where the ruling party won by 100 percent. We don’t want to be a part of that.”
Ethnic rivalries are also threatening the election in Ethiopia. In June, the election board said that ongoing violence could delay the vote. According to the United Nations, violence has driven 2.4 million people out of their homes A national census has already been postponed twice.
Mulatu Gemech, deputy chairman of the opposition Oromo Federalist Congress which is a member of the coalition, told Reuters that having all the opposition parties’ reservations about the law puts the upcoming election in question.
