Politics of Ethiopia - Political Parties and Elections

Political Parties and Elections

For other political parties see List of political parties in Ethiopia. An overview on elections and election results is included in Elections in Ethiopia.

e • d Summary of the 15 May 2005 Ethiopian House of People's Representatives election results

Coalitions and parties	Votes	%	Seats
Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front Tigrayan People's Liberation Front Oromo Peoples' Democratic Organization Amhara National Democratic Movement Southern Ethiopian People's Democratic Movement		59.8%	327
Coalition for Unity and Democracy Ethiopian Democratic League All Ethiopian Unity Party United Ethiopian Democratic Party-Medhin Party Rainbow Ethiopia: Movement for Democracy and Social Justice		19.9%	109
United Ethiopian Democratic Forces Oromo National Congress Ethiopian Social Democratic Federal Party Southern Ethiopia People's Democratic Coalition All-Amhara People's Organization Ethiopian Democratic Unity Party		9.5%	52
Somali People's Democratic Party		4.3%	24
Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement		2.0%	11
Benishangul-Gumuz People's Democratic Unity Front		1.4%	8
Afar National Democratic Party		1.4%	8
Gambela People's Democratic Movement		negligible	3
Sheko and Mezenger People's Democratic Unity Organization		negligible	1
Hareri National League		negligible	1
Argoba Nationality Democratic Organization		negligible	1
Independent		negligible	1
Total		100%	546

Some other political pressure groups include the Council of Alternative Forces for Peace and Democracy in Ethiopia (CAFPDE) Beyene Petros and the Southern Ethiopia People's Democratic Coalition (SEPDC) .

The coalition of opposition parties and some individuals that was established in 2009 to oust at the general election in 2010 the regime of the TPLF, Meles Zenawi’s party that has been in power since 1991, published a 65-page manifesto in Addis Ababa on October 10, 2009.

Some of the eight member parties of this Ethiopian Forum for Democratic Dialogue (FDD or Medrek in Amharic) include the Oromo Federalist Congress (organized by the Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement and the Oromo People’s Congress), the Arena Tigray (organized by former members of the ruling party TPLF), the Unity for Democracy and Justice (UDJ, whose leader was imprisoned), and the Coalition of Somali Democratic Forces.

With Ethiopia’s national election in May 2010 approaching, some opposition groups begun to hint a boycott, accusing the government of stepping up harassment against them.

Despite growing claims of "harassment" and "undemocratic actions" perpetrated by the ruling party, the Forum for Democratic Dialogue (FDD), Ethiopia’s biggest alliance of opposition political parties declared in October 2009 that it will contest in the scheduled election.

Gebru Asrat, a former ally of PM Meles Zenawi, said that his party’s primary efforts were "to engage in negotiation with the government on key election issues" ahead of the election, but he added that the government was reluctant.

FDD insists to engage in a pre-election negotiation on 10 key subjects, among which the issues of access to the media for campaigning, the supremacy of law, the free access of international observers, the establishment of an independent electoral board and a stop to harassment and pressure on opposition members.