Three Ethiopian political parties on Tuesday threatened to boycott upcoming parliamentary elections in the remote eastern Somali state, citing a litany of complaints about ruling party conduct.
The Western Somalia Democratic party, the Coalition of Somali Democratic Forces and Dall-Wabi Peoples Democratic Movement said they would not take part in the August 21 polls unless immediate ”corrective measures” were taken.
”Our [participation] in the election depends on corrective measures to be taken by the National Election Board of Ethiopia (Nebe),” they said in a joint statement.
For logistical reasons, voters in Somali state’s 23 constituencies are to cast ballots on Sunday for local and federal lawmakers under Ethiopia’s split election cycle that saw the rest of the country go to the polls in May.
Fierce disputes that sparked deadly violence in the capital in June persist over alleged fraud in the May 15 elections for which final results show a ruling party victory. National opposition groups are now weighing a boycott of Parliament.
Political tension may also be brewing in Somali state where at least five people were killed and 31 injured in a series of grenade attacks last month in the provincial capital of Jijiga, about 720km east of Addis Ababa.
Some officials and diplomats believe the attacks on July 24 may have been politically motivated as they coincided with the start of voter registration although no group has claimed responsibility.
The state-run Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) reported in late July that police had arrested 25 people in connection with the incidents but no details have emerged about the status of the detainees or a possible motive for the attacks.
Amid the uncertainty, the three Somali state parties complained that they had been denied access to the media and accused the regional security chief of impounding more than 10 000 blank voter registration cards for possible fraud.
”Unless the voter cards … are cancelled and new registration is conducted, it will be a mockery to conduct an election,” the parties said.
The results of Sunday’s election in Somali state, as well as re-votes the same day of the May 15 poll in 32 other constituencies where fraud and irregularities were found, will have little effect on the make-up of the new Parliament. – Sapa-AFP