Ethiopia’s PM creates pseudo opposition parties for by-election.

Ethiopia’s PM creates pseudo opposition parties for by-election.
Published 02/18/2011 - 10:38 p.m. GMT
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As the main opposition parties threaten to boycott the upcoming by-elections, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has reportedly introduced his own opposition parties to challenge his ruling party. Zenawi’s opposition parties have presented their candidates for the election.

According to the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE), the by-elections to fill vacant seats are scheduled for February 27 to be held in the Southern SNNPR, Benishangul Gumuz and Oromia regional states as well as in Addis Ababa. The main opposition coalition, Medrek, is reportedly planning to boycott the election. The opposition blames the Zenawi ruling party for controlling the election board, the military and virtually all federal institutions in the country.

Several new opposition groups, including All Ethiopian National Movement (AENM), were reportedly created by the ruling party in order to make the upcoming elections appear multi-party elections. Meles Zenawi’s ruling party has formerly seized the ONC opposition party of Dr. Merera Gudina, forcing the leadership to rename itself OPC. The Zenawi ruling party controlled national media has since presented the AENM and ONC as real opposition parties to confuse the public in Oromia and other parts of Ethiopia.

Local independent journalists have also reported government harassment of journalists and opposition supporters to crush potential street protests similar to those in Egypt and Tunisia. In a recent interview, Deputy President of Medrek, Dr. Merera Gudina, said Ethiopian people must peacefully struggle for their freedom and democracy.

Source: Jimma Times.