Ethiopia: EU
warns ruling Woyané over opposition crackdown
14 October 2005, Addis Ababa (AFP/ED) -
The European parliament on Friday called for an end to harrassment of
opposition groups in Ethiopia and warned of possible aid cuts to the
impoverished Horn of Africa nation if it did not stop.
In a statement released here, the
Strasbourg-based legislature deplored the government's treatment of the
opposition since disputed May elections that EU observers said failed to meet
international standards.
The parliament "calls on the Ethiopian
government (Woyané) to end the persecution
and intimidation of opposition parties and to release immediately thousands of
people who were arrested at an opposition demonstration in June," it said.
"If necessary, the European Commission
should step up its humanitarian policy towards Ethiopia and adjust its
non-humanitarian aid," the statement said.
The European Commission and the member states
of the European Union are among Ethiopia's biggest donors, contributing about
490 million dollars (407 million euros) annually. The commission provides about
17 percent of that total.
The statement came as the country's largest
opposition group is boycotting parliament to protest alleged massive ruling
party fraud in the May 15 polls and irregularities in post-vote investigations
into their complaints.
Lawmakers on Tuesday voted to strip the
boycotting members of parliament -- who want the formation of a national unity
government to oversee new elections -- of their immunity amid accusations they
are trying to foment a coup.
The European parliament said it was concerned
about the circumstances behind the boycott and the lifting of parliamentary
immunity from prosecution.
The Ethiopian information ministry issued a
statement in response accusing the European parliament of relying on a
"discredited" report from EU election observers that was part of a
"vilification campaign" against the government.
"The Ethiopian government believes that
it is high time for the European Union Parliament to honestly assess the
objective realities in Ethiopia and refrain from such vilification campaigns
which do not in any way contribute to the democratization process in
Ethiopia," it said.
Protests against the results of the election
turned violent in June when police opened fire on crowds in the capital during
demonstrations, killing at least 37 people, and prompting a massive crackdown
on the opposition in which thousands were detained.
Official results gave the ruling Ethiopian
People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) and its allies 370 of the 547
seats in parliament.
The opposition, which had held only 12 seats
before, took 175 seats but insist they won the election outright.
Nearly all of the elected MPs from the largest
opposition group, the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD), are boycotting
parliament, which opened on Monday.
