ADDIS ABABA (Halbeeg News) – Ethiopian parliament has amended the country’s elections laws ahead of year elections.
The lawmakers have voted in favour of the revised poll laws which wants each federal political parties to have signatures of 10,000.
The law also orders the regional parties to 45,00 signatures of supports, a move the opposition parties termed to be difficult.
“It is very essential to create an environment where political parties can merge and form a front,” the bill read.
Prior to the amendment, the law was articulating the national parties to 1,500 signatures while regional parties were needed to 750 signatures.
Speaking to Reuters head of National Movement of Amhara (NAMA), Desalegn Chane said the changes to the law approved by parliament will disadvantage opposition parties seeking to challenge the EPRDF’s grip.
“We had suggestions which were not included in the final bill, for example, we are strongly opposed to the provision that civil servants must vacate their jobs if they are going to run for office,” Chane said. “This is unfair. Government employees should be allowed to run.”
The ruling coalition, the Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front, EPRDF; is on record to have stressed its readiness to organize the polls on schedule.
The EPRDF currently holds all seats in the parliament.
Competing parties in Africa’s second most populous nation have also made similar calls but with a core demand that electoral reforms be passed.
There is a new head of the electoral board in the person of Birtukan Mideksa and international partners including the European Union have pledged financial support to help the electoral process.
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