PRESS RELEASE NO. 31/2005
Addis Ababa, 10 June 2005 - The Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union (AU), Alpha Oumar Konare, welcomes the signing of a Joint Declaration on the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) complaints review and investigation process, by the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD), the Ethiopian Peoples' Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) and the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEFD), on 10 June 2005.
The Chairperson of the Commission commends the parties for having reaffirmed their commitment to the successful and peaceful conclusion of the electoral process, in a manner that fully respects the wishes of the people, the rule of law and constitutional processes of the country. He further commends them for their condemnation of all acts of violence or incitement to violence and their commitment to make all possible efforts to prevent the recurrence of violence.
The Chairperson of the Commission reaffirms AU's commitment to assist the Parties in their efforts and to provide all necessary support for the implementation of the Joint Declaration, so as to ensure the early peaceful and transparent completion of the electoral process.