EPRDF suddenly changes party funding law to punish opposition boycott of 2010 election (Jimma Times)
EPRDF suddenly changes funding law to punish opposition boycott of election.
“How could one party give the money back if it campaigned and spent the money, but was then forced to withdraw because of harassment and intimidation?” – Bulcha Demeksa of OFDM
A regulation to bring in public funding for political parties for the first time in the nation’s history was introduced late last week, but a last minute addition to the draft left the opposition and ruling party in disagreement.
Drafted by the National Electorate Board of Ethiopia (NEBE), the landmark regulation details criteria by which registered political parties can access their share from the Federal Government.
Various political parties’ representatives debated the draft which would allow all parties to access funding for election periods, last Friday. A second type of aid, financing for daily operations, will only be available to those that have representations in federal or regional parliament, a stipulation the opposition claims discourages newly established, or yet to be formed, parties.
From the support for day to day operations, 90 per cent will be distributed based on the number of seats in parliament occupied, while the balance will be equally divided between all parties in parliament.
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