Tim Clarke, the Head of Delegation of the European Commission to Ethiopia, has praised the work of the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) during its investigations into alleged electoral irregularities. Mr Clarke said the NEBE has done a “remarkable job” in attempting to bring the investigative process to a satisfactory conclusion in what have been “difficult circumstances.”

Mr Clarke also urged all political parties in the country to work closely within the context of the constitution, and called on opposition parties to stay with the course of the NEBE’s investigations and finish the process. He went onto say that attempts to disrupt this process could cause more anxiety and tension and potentially lead to crisis.

According to Mr Clarke, there would be a very high number of representatives of the opposition parties in the new parliament, which would be a unique development for Ethiopia. He also said the international community strongly believes that opposition parties should take up their seats in the parliament and work in a constructive way.

“The citizens of Ethiopia expect their politicians to resolve problems in a sensible and rational way, rather than end up in hostility. The parties concerned should find common language to solve the problems. Dialogue and peaceful negotiations are the way to overcome disputes.”

He also described how, during the investigation process, each of the initial 26 Complaint Investigation Panels (CIPS) was accompanied by at least one international observer, either from the European Union, the Carter Center or the African Union, who will be producing their reports in due course.

''I myself participated in one investigation in one area to see how it worked. It was a fascinating and unique process as no other country in the world has gone through the same process like here,'' he said, “it was professionally managed and chaired by NEBE.”

While he noted the concern of opposition parties that the electoral board had not been independent, he added "I don't have evidence to support that allegation."