Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Question 23: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the ongoing tensions in Ethiopia which have arisen following concerns that a parliamentary election in the country on 15 May 2005 was fraudulent. [26848/05]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Ethiopia's third general election, held on 15 May 2005, was the most genuinely competitive in the country's history. International observers were present, including an EU election observation mission, EOM, with Irish participation. The organisation and execution of the ballot exceeded the expectations of most election observers, although some shortcomings were identified. Irish observers of the voting process, including Deputy Charlie O'Connor, Senator Fergal Browne and Mrs. Mary Banotti, reported positively on both its transparency and completeness.

However, the post-election period was marred by the slowness of the counting process, a ban on public demonstrations in Addis Ababa and complaints of irregularities by both the opposition and the governing Ethiopian People's Democratic Front, EPRDF, party. This led to increased tensions in Addis Ababa and serious violence on 8 June 2005, in which up to 40 people were killed. Over 4,000 people were detained at that time, all but 58 of whom were later released.

In response to some 380 complaints of irregularities, the National Election Board of Ethiopia, NEBE, and the main political parties also agreed a complaints investigations process. This review took over two months and led to election re-runs in 31 constituencies, all of which were won by the governing EPRDF. Both the EOM and the Carter Centre have said that the complaints investigation process did not provide an effective remedy.

The official results announced by the NEBE on 5 September 2005 declared the governing EPRDF the winner, with 327 out of 546 seats filled. Parties affiliated to the EPRDF won a further 45 seats. Opposition parties and an independent candidate won a total of 174 seats, a major increase on the 19 seats which they held in the last parliament.

The final report and recommendations of the EOM are due to be issued in the coming days. In its interim statements, it commended the open and competitive nature of pre-election campaigning, while drawing attention to some deficiencies and irregularities.

The main opposition parties rejected the results of the election as flawed and alleged that intimidation and human rights abuses of their leaders and supporters were continuing. Initially, they threatened to boycott the new Parliament, which is due to convene on 10 October 2005, and planned to hold major demonstrations in Addis Ababa and other urban centres on 2 October 2005. When these demonstrations were not authorised, they called instead for three days of general strike and peaceful disobedience, beginning on 3 October 2005. The Ethiopian Government indicated that it would not hold any dialogue with opposition parties unless they accepted the official election results and pursued disputes through the courts.

This difficult political impasse was broken following an intervention by representatives of the EU Troika, the US and the United Nations with both Government and opposition on 1 October 2005. The opposition parties signed a statement committing themselves to constitutional, peaceful and legal mechanisms to resolve political conflict and seeking talks with the Government. In return, the Prime Minister gave a commitment to engage immediately in dialogue with the opposition if the protests planned for 3 October were called off and the opposition undertook to pursue its objectives via parliamentary means. The Government would also expedite the release of an estimated 1,000 people detained in recent days. Following opposition agreement to these terms, a preliminary round of talks between the Government and opposition took place on 2 October. Further talks were held on 4 October 2005.

I welcome these recent positive developments, which are the latest in a series of active efforts by the EU and the international community to help Ethiopia resolve the current political crisis. The EU condemned the violence which occurred on 8 June, called for an independent investigation into the deaths and urged the Ethiopian Government to exercise the utmost restraint and to act in accordance with the principles of international law and respect for human rights. It has also urged the Government and opposition parties to implement faithfully their joint agreement on the elections complaints procedure and their common commitment to non-violence.