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Forum: Ethiopian vote: Problems and celebration
The Washington Times
October 23, 2005
On May 15, Ethiopian democracy shone as more than
90 percent of eligible voters went to the polls and freely cast their votes,
regardless of party. As Election Day peacefully ended, international monitors
unanimously hailed elections unprecedented in freedom and level of
participation. Even as it became clear there would be huge gains by opposition
groups, some refused to accept the results where they did not prevail.
Our pride in the elections was tempered when illegal protests
in the capital became violent and cost the lives of some fellow citizens. Calm
now prevails, but those tragic events are a source of deep regret to every
Ethiopian.
The May 15 elections were historic, but imperfect, so
the independent National Elections Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) set up a transparent
process, endorsed by the major opposition parties, to examine alleged
irregularities and complaints filed. On the basis of the recommendations of the
Complaint Investigation Panels, the NEBE ordered rerun elections in 31 of
the most closely contested constituencies. The initial report by the European
Union's Election Observation Mission (EU-EOM) states clearly they were carried
out "according to the electoral law" and "took place in a
peaceful and orderly manner." It found 88 percent of reruns' process
"good" or "very good."
The main opposition coalitions, CUD and UEDF, reaped the
benefits of their unfettered campaign. Opposition-controlled seats soared from
12 to 174, a more than 1,300 percent gain.
Those figures suggest opposition voters freely exercised
their franchise and belie any systematic vote suppression.
The incumbent governing party now will control 327 of
the Parliament's 547 seats to the main opposition coalition's 174 seats, with
some 46 seats held by small parties. This distribution of seats is comparable to
that in European parliaments and other established democratic legislatures.
Those who claim the governing coalition
"stole" an election in which it lost nearly 200 seats deserve credit
only for imagination, nothing else.
One can assume the governing coalition can take no joy
in losing so many parliamentary seats, but the government is proud of the
process by which those seats changed hands.
Our embrace of democracy is both principled and
practical. It will reap practical benefits for Ethiopia: stronger relations with
other democratic states, leadership in Africa and greater trade and development
and esteem in the world community worthy of our storied past. For example, we
know our commitment to democracy relates directly to last month's Financial
Times' Foreign Direct Investment magazine finding that Ethiopia is No. 1 in
Africa for foreign direct investment cost-effectiveness.
On May 15, the voters made manifest Ethiopia's
burgeoning political modernization. The Carter Center characterized the election
as a "significant accomplishment [that] has the potential to lead to
further democratization and to consolidate multiparty competition." The
U.S. State Department stated that "[t]hese elections stand out as a
milestone in creating a new, more competitive, multiparty political system in
one of Africa's largest and most important countries."
With these elections, Ethiopians have seized a future
that will be shaped by a contest of ideas and not arms. That contest should now
continue on the floor of the Parliament where it can shape a legitimate program
to serve the interest of my country and its people. Former President Carter said
in an interview last week that his "hope is opposition party members would
take their seats in parliament and ensure that voters' interests are
represented." The African Union correctly urges "all political parties
to work together in the national interest and if need be, pursue any outstanding
issues through due processes of the law and agreed mechanisms including
dialogue."
Even the EU-EOM, more critical than other foreign
observers, noted the "decision by the government of Ethiopia and [the
governing party] to launch this electoral process with international observation
and unprecedented openness was a courageous and bold move."
The mutual commitment to respect and rule of law
necessary to sustain Ethiopian democracy are within our reach. Last week, we
watched with real joy as the ruling party and the two major opposition parties
agreed to hold a dialogue over issues of continuing disagreement. On Oct. 5, the
three political parties came up with a Joint Statement emphasizing their
discussions are progressing constructively. Gestures of this kind, one upon
another, will further weave together the strong fabric of government based on
the rule of law.
In its three millennia, Ethiopia has known scarcely more
than a decade without monarchy, dictatorship or foreign domination. Yet we who
threw off the Derg's oppression have turned to the ballot box. We whose
grandparents remember the Italian occupiers have built a functioning republic.
We who spent most of the 20th century bowing to a king have freely elected a
21st century parliament of the people.
Our friends in the international community should point
out fairly our democracy's imperfections, but they fail Ethiopia when they seize
upon them to tell us we are not who our very name declares us to be: the Federal
Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, a true and functioning democracy.
KASSAHUN AYELE
Ethiopian ambassador to the United States.
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