Ethiopia Between "Election Events": the Impact of the 2005 and 2010 Pre-Election Politics on Competitive Elections
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Date
2010-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The pre-electoral period of 2005 was a historic opening of democratic space in Ethiopia. Despite
continuing obstacles, the country had benefited from the ruling party’s desire for a’ flawless’
election that would show Ethiopia’s democratic progress. The incumbent for the first time had to
face a democratic challenge. However, its fruit had a bitter taste. In the after math of the election,
the major opposition ‘irresponsibility’ discarded the Verdict of the public. On the other hand, the
‘rigid’ political behavior of the ruling party had led to a political deadlock. In 2008, the
government expanded its full control over the local administration. Surprisingly enough, it
ensured a total monopoly over the federal parliament in the current election 2010; a situation that
remind us the last decade of the 20 th century. In between the ‘election events’, repressive laws
were enacted that curtailed the political space. This coupled by political intimidations against the
‘neutralized’ opposition, the pre-election period of the 2010 election became gloomy . The study
argues that there is the tendency of a return to ‘authoritarianism’ in the country. The research
reviewed the weakness and the strengths that the 2005 election had, and its impact on the 2010
pre-election process. It also tries to assess the situation and major activities carried out in
‘Between the Election Events’ that help to caste light on the political direction to which the
country is moving
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Competitive elections