UK MINISTER FOR AFRICA “EXPRESSES CONCERN” OVER ETHIOPIAN ELECTIONS
Source: Addisstandard.com As t he ruling EPRDF in Ethiopia claimed a 100% historic election victory , Britain’s Minister for Africa, James Duddridge, calls on the government in Ethiopia “to increase diversity in parliament and ensure the voices of all citizens are heard”, a statement from the UK’s Foreign Office said yesterday. The statement quoted minister Duddridge as saying he welcomed “the fact that the recent Ethiopian parliamentary elections were conducted in a generally peaceful environment and that the Ethiopian people turned out in large numbers.” But he said he agreed with the “European Union concerns about the negative impact on the electoral environment of arrests of opposition members and journalists, closure of media outlets, and obstacles faced by the opposition while campaigning.” On the 100% electoral win for the ruling EPRDF, Mr. Duddridge urged the government in Ethiopia “to explore ways to increase the diversity of political parties in future par