Editor’s Note – African Union (AU) is a house of the despots that have ravaged the continent. When AU proposed it will deploy staff as election observers, the Ethiopian opposition had, without pushing further, declined the offer, citing AU’s record for lack of integrity to serve as neutral observers. They proved right.
ADDIS
ABABA (AFP) – African Union observers on Thursday said Ethiopia‘s parliamentary elections won resoundingly by incumbent Prime MinisterMeles Zenawi but disputed by the opposition reflected voters’ will.
The 60-member monitoring team said Ethiopians voted in freedom in Sunday’s polls whose conduct they also praised.
“It is recognised that 2010 Ethiopia’s legislative elections reflected the will of the people,” they said in a statement.
“Conditions existed for voters to freely express their will.”
However, European Union observers said the elections were unfair and lacked political freedom.
Opposition groups have also rejected poll results and called for fresh elections, arguing that the vote was riddled with fraud.
Meles, who has ruled Ethiopia for almost two decades, dismissed those calls.
