Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s ruling party said it would form a new government on Thursday, despite the opposition’s refusal to accept the results of May elections it says were fraudulent.
The African Union appealed to political parties in the Horn of Africa country to settle any disputes through the courts and dialogue. Opposition parties are due to announce on Thursday how they intend to challenge the election results.
The latest in a slow trickle of results from the May 15 parliamentary poll confirmed Meles on Tuesday as winner of a second term in Africa’s top coffee grower.
Claims of fraud in what was considered Ethiopia’s most democratic poll sparked protests and a military clampdown that left at least 36 people dead.
The ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) said in a statement that the opposition was calling for the formation of a national reconciliation government through power-sharing but that this was not acceptable.
“The question of sharing power through negotiation will not be acceptable,” EPRDF said. “According to the national constitution, only the party which wins a majority vote can form the government. Any anti-constitutional move will not be accepted to just quench the thirst of power of the opposition.”
The opposition parties were not immediately available for comment.
More: za.today.reuters.com
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