The Ethiopian government disparaged the EU Observers final report on Tuesday. The press statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the report ‘as flawed as the preliminary statement issued by the Mission at the close of the elections in Ethiopia on 25 May 2010.’

The government expressed its dismay that the EU Election Observation ‘could not withstand the pressure of Human Rights Watch to advance its political agenda and has chosen to issue a report which is nothing but a preconceived and biased political analysis on Ethiopia.’

The press statement also the preoccupation of the report with the ruling party. It stated, ‘The Report asserts that the elections have further consolidated the power of the ruling party. The excessive focus on this matter clearly demonstrates that the EU EOM was primarily preoccupied with the results of the election and fate of the ruling party rather than the actual conduct of the elections.’

Here is the full text of the pres statement.

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Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia on the Report of the European Union Election Observation Mission(EU EOM)

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia deeply regrets that the Report of EU EOM issued on 8 November is as flawed as the preliminary statement issued by the Mission at the close of the elections in Ethiopia on 25 May 2010. The Mission was expected to abide by international and national standards of conduct governing election observation missions and by the terms of reference agreed to with the Government of Ethiopia. However, the Mission, rather than abiding by these standards and terms of reference and reporting on facts and facts only, based its Report primarily on a preconceived political analysis extraneous to the conduct of the elections.

This was evident from the commencement of the Mission’s activities as early as a few days after the arrival of the Mission. It is also known that the Mission had earlier established contacts with Human Rights Watch before it even set foot in Ethiopia. Regrettably, the Mission could not withstand the pressure of Human Rights Watch to advance its political agenda and has chosen to issue a report which is nothing but a preconceived and biased political analysis on Ethiopia. The Report asserts that the elections have further consolidated the power of the ruling party. The excessive focus on this matter clearly demonstrates that the EU EOM was primarily preoccupied with the results of the election and fate of the ruling party rather than the actual conduct of the elections.

The Ministry expresses its dismay that this Report amounts to yet another biased political indictment against the democratization process in Ethiopia, and the victimization of the country, for the second time, by the EU EOM, and finds the Report unacceptable.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
9 November 2010
<< Seal of the Ministry >>

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