Rival Ethiopian Parties Claim Victories

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By ANTHONY MITCHELL
Associated Press Writer
8:29 PM PDT, May 21, 2005

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Western diplomats appealed Saturday
for calm in Ethiopia, where both the ruling and opposition
parties were claiming victory and accusing their rivals of
vote-rigging as provisional results trickled in Saturday.

The National Electoral Board announced results for 40 seats --
with 29 going to the opposition, mostly in the capital where
it was expected to win. The opposition now has more than
twice as many seats as it had in the last parliament.

Many more provisional results from the May 15 vote, seen as
the most open and fair in Ethiopian history, were expected to
be posted as the weekend continued. Final results are
expected June 8.

As the parties traded accusations of elections fraud,
diplomats from 21 nations that provide Ethiopia with foreign
aid called for calm in a country where power has usually been
seized through violence.

"Complaints and objections must be pursued peacefully through
the legally established mechanisms," said a joint statement
issued by diplomats from the United States, Germany, Britain
and 18 other Western countries.

The main opposition coalition has said it wants a revote and
a recount for 84 seats, claiming ballot boxes were stolen,
its supporters were prevented from voting and counting was
stopped as it became clear that opposition candidates were
ahead.

The ruling Ethiopia People's Revolutionary Front, meanwhile,
said the opposition stuffed ballot boxes, photocopied ballot
papers for multiple use and tried to stop women from voting
in two of the most hotly contested regions.

Electoral chief Kemal Bedri said the National Electoral Board
has received complaints for more than 100 constituencies, but
none were specific.

Although ruling party officials have conceded that the
opposition made strong gains in the nation of 70 million
people, they insist their party retains control of
parliament.

The opposition Coalition for Unity and Democracy and the
allied United Ethiopian Democratic Forces went into the race
with just 12 of the 547 seats in parliament.

Prime Minister Meles Zenawi is known as one of the
continent's more progressive leaders, and many considered
last Sunday's race a test of his commitment to democratic
reform.