VZCZCXYZ0017
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHDS #3370/01 3521238
ZNR UUUUU ZZH (CCY  ADX 0DDD25/MSI3704)
R 171238Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3113
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RHEFHLC/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEPADJ/CJTF HOA
RUEWMFD/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS ADDIS ABABA 003370 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
C O R R E C T E D  C O P Y (TEXT) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KDEM PGOV PHUM ASEC ET
SUBJECT: REVISED POLITICAL PARTIES REGISTRATION PROCLAMATION 
 
REF: REF: FOLLIARD AF/E E-MAIL OF 12-12-08 
 
Summary 
-------- 
 
¶1. (SBU)  Ethiopia's revised Political Parties Registration 
Proclamation (reftel) came into effect on September 24, 2008 
instituting additional new reporting requirements that will 
further dampen opposition parties' ability to raise funds and 
compete in Ethiopia's ever-shrinking political space.  The 
revised Proclamation allows the National Electoral Board 
(NEB) to monitor more closely the financial activity of 
political parties by requiring the disclosure of funding 
sources, including names of donors.  Opposition parties have 
already reported a loss of funding from supporters who now 
fear persecution.  Three prominent opposition party leaders 
said that they have not received any of the financial support 
from the Ethiopian Government (GoE) that the Proclamation 
entitles them to, and do not expect any funding from the NEB 
until just before the 2010 national elections when it will be 
too late to use the funds to organize and campaign. End 
Summary. 
 
 
Registration of Political Parties 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U)  The revised Proclamation requires prospective 
political parties to submit several documents not previously 
required with the application for registration of a political 
party.  These include the names and addresses of the party 
leaders (Art. 8(2)(d)), statements of consent from the 
leaders to act as leaders (Art. 8 (2)(d)), a document signed 
by founding members and opened to the public (Art. 8(2)(e)), 
a document showing that the political party leaders are 
elected by the General Assembly (Art. 8(2)(f)), and a 
document containing the name and address of the political 
party auditor (Art. 8(2)(g)).  The registration fee is not 
specified in the document, stating that the amount shall be 
determined by the NEB (Art. 8(6)). 
 
 
Obligations of Political Parties 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (U)  In addition, under the revised Proclamation, 
political parties must: 1) submit a document showing the 
required number of members- 1,500 for a country-wide party 
(Art. 5(1)(a)), 750 for a regional party (Art. 6(1)(a)); 2) 
notify the NEB if forming a front, union, or coalition (for 
the purposes of upcoming elections) 30 days prior to the 
issuance of a time schedule for local or general elections 
(Art. 19(1)(b)); and 3) submit financial reports including 
all sources of income and the names of the people who made 
contributions/donations whenever the NEB requires (Art. 
54(2)).  In addition, an article was added requiring 
political parties to inform the NEB immediately when new 
officials are elected (Art. 21 (1)).  An article of the 
Proclamation also stipulates that "it shall be punishable by 
law where a political party with a view to introduce its 
political aims by force or duress, organizes or trains or 
recruits by coercion a person or group" (Art. 57(2)). 
 
Political Party Financing 
------------------------- 
 
¶4. (U)  The revised Proclamation states that the government 
may/will (ambiguity in English/Amharic translation) grant 
support to political parties with representation in Federal 
and State Houses of Parliament to conduct their day- to- day 
activity and election purposes (Art. 42).  (NOTE: Day- to- 
day activity is defined to include developing political 
consciousness of the public, acquainting the public with the 
aims of the party, agitation to enable citizens to have 
active participation in the political activity of the 
country, and strengthening a harmonious relationship between 
the public and government institutions. END NOTE.) 
Government funding for election purposes shall be available 
only for elections to Federal or State Houses, not for local 
elections (Art. 47(1)). The Proclamation stipulates that 
support granted to political parties shall be apportioned 
between the parties on the basis proportional to their number 
of seats in Federal of State Houses (Art. 45(2)(a)). For 
election purposes, support will be granted based on the 
number of candidates nominated by the political parties and 
the number of women candidates nominated (Art. 45(2)(b)). The 
Proclamation is unclear as to what recourse opposition 
parties have if they do not receive grant support. 
 
¶5. (U)  The Proclamation prohibits several sources of 
funding, including funding from terrorist organizations, 
government organizations, unknown sources, an organized group 
or person assuming state power in a manner other than 
provided under the Constitution, and any body or person that 
contributes in exchange for inappropriate or unlawful benefit 
(Art. 52).  Foreign nationals are explicitly prohibited from 
funding political parties (Art. 51(1)(a)).  Also, where a 
political party is found to have accepted financing from 
commercial and industrial activities, those assets will be 
confiscated and the party will be liable under the 
appropriate law (Art. 53). 
 
 
Views from Opposition Leaders 
----------------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU)  Many opposition parties are struggling financially, 
especially outside of Addis Ababa.  When asked whether they 
have received any financial support from the GoE to which the 
Proclamation entitles them, Oromo Federalist Democratic 
Movement (OFDM) Chairman and Member of Parliament (MP) Bulcha 
Demeksa and Oromo People's Congress (OPC) Chairman and MP 
Merera Gudina said they have never seen a cent.  To make 
matters worse, Diaspora funding has decreased in recent years 
compared to the run-up to the 2005 elections.  When asked why 
they did not raise the issue of GoE financial support in 
Parliament, they said it is impossible to raise because the 
Parliamentary Advisory Committee (with a 94% EPRDF 
membership) kills it every time it is raised.  Bulcha and 
Merera also noted that challenging the government in court 
would be prohibitively expensive.  United Ethiopian 
Democratic Forces (UEDF) Chairman Beyene Petros predicts that 
the NEB will wait to disburse funds until just before the 
2010 elections, preventing the opposition parties from using 
the funds to organize and campaign.  All three of the 
Chairmen expressed frustration with the international donor 
community for not insisting on the disbursement of funds by 
the NEB. 
 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) While most provisions of the Proclamation are well 
founded in principle, we view the Proclamation as yet another 
success of the GoE and ruling party to legislate the de facto 
stifling of political opposition that has prevailed since the 
2005 national elections.  In just the two months since this 
Proclamation came into force it has had the chilling effect 
of reduced funding (both domestically and from abroad) on 
opposition parties that those parties warned would come.  The 
prohibition on funding from foreign nationals has eliminated 
much of the Diaspora,s contribution to Ethiopia's political 
parties, while the imperative to name all funders has further 
intimidated opposition supporters who fear being targeted by 
the GoE or ruling party cadres.  While the prohibition on 
parties engaging in commercial or industrial activities would 
seemingly strip the four parties within the ruling coalition 
of their massive revenues gained from party-owned 
 endowment, conglomerates, or  party-statals,, which 
dominate much of the Ethiopian economy, we expect a nuanced 
legal distinction has been, or will be, made exempting them 
from this section of the law.  Finally, while the 
proclamation provides for funding from the GOE, those funds 
need to be provided in a timely manner or it will make it 
impossible for the opposition to participate meaningfully in 
the election.  In sum, this legislative action, passed 
without consultation with the opposition and over its chorus 
of dissent, has further cemented the dominance of the ruling 
EPRDF in Ethiopia's ever-shrinking political space.  End 
Comment. 
YAMAMOTO