Public participation vital in democratic elections!
All theories expounding human and democratic rights come to the conclusion that the right of individuals to elect their representatives is an exercise of one of the fundamental rights set out in the 1948 Universal Declaration on Human Rights (UDHR). In short, the right to vote is an inalienable element of human rights. Voting is one of the vital instruments by which citizens can influence the policies and strategies of governments. Just as they cause contesting political parties to bite their nails in anticipation on the eve of elections, the electorate forces them to display transparency, responsibility and accountability when they hold the reins of power. The vote of citizens therefore is essential in building such a civilized and democratic system of governance. Though Ethiopia’s democratization process has been mired in seemingly intractable problems, four general elections have been held over the past twenty years with only four months to go before the fifth edition com