Addis Ababa, 21 May 2015 (WIC) – Professor Merga Bekana, Chairman of the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE), said the Board’s capacity to organize elections has been increasing over the years.
Organizing a competent staff and using modern technology, the Board is executing major tasks according to its schedule for the upcoming general election on Sunday, the Chairman noted.
He told fanabc.com that complaints lodged by political parties have been receiving swift resolutions, indication that the Board’s capacity is increasing.
In the past, the introduction of a multi-party system in Ethiopia faced a number of challenges both for voters and candidates. During the first election, parties met a deadlock in what was known as Political Parties Commission to organize elections. The second election had some improvements, but suffered from a lack of modern innovations. The Board was not thoroughly organized; there was a general lack of understanding of the electoral law.
During the fourth round of national elections, capacity building for political parties; awareness creation for voters in their own languages regarding ethical conducts on elections and on the benefits of voting proved a rise in the Board’s increasing capacity to organize elections.
Professor Merga says the country’s electoral laws, proclamations and directives are in line with the Constitution and derived from international best practices. The Board also played a significant role in enabling political parties to partake in elections.
The Chairman is satisfied with how far the Board has come in holding credible elections in Ethiopia, a key component in the effort to build a democratic society. (Source: fanabc.com)