POLITICAL PARTIES AGREE ON ALLOCATION OF AIRTIME FOR ELECTIONS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADDIS ABABA 000049



SIPDIS

SENSITIVE



E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: E.O.12958: N/A

TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PHUM, KDEM, ET

SUBJECT: POLITICAL PARTIES AGREE ON ALLOCATION OF AIRTIME FOR

ELECTIONS



Reftel: Addis Ababa 3010



SUMMARY

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1. (SBU) Sixty-five Ethiopian political parties have reached

agreement on how to allocate airtime and print space of state media

for electoral campaigning. Three of these parties tabled proposals

during three days of negotiation and one suggested by the nominally

opposition Ethiopian Democratic Party (EDP) was finally adopted.

Available airtime and print space will be allocated by a weighted

formula that takes into account the number of seats a party has in

the parliament and the number of candidates a party fields, with a

final media tranche divided equally among Ethiopia's 96 registered

political parties. Although some opposition groups argue the

agreement unfairly benefits the ruling party, most parties

participating in the negotiations pronounce the agreement to be a

good compromise. END SUMMARY.



Negotiations

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2. (U) Two negotiators from each of the four major political parties

- Ethiopian Peoples' Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF),All

Ethiopian Unity Party (AEUP),Ethiopian Democratic Party (EDP),

Coalition for Unity and Democracy Party (CUDP)- and four negotiators

selected at large from 61 smaller political parties reached

agreement on how to allocate airtime and print space on state-owned

electronic and print media. The negotiators struck a deal on

January 1 after three days of intense negotiations. The Forum for

Justice and Democratic Dialogue (Forum) and 23 smaller political

parties did not participate in the negotiations.



Three Options Tabled for Negotiations

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3. (U) The formula proposed by the government-run Ethiopian

Broadcasting Authority and accepted by EPRDF and CUDP (together

comprising 401 of the 547 seats in the present parliament) suggested

that 60 percent of available media time and space be allocated

according to the number of seats a party had in the parliament, 30

percent for the number of candidates a party fielded for the

upcoming election, and 10 percent divided equally for all 96

political parties registered to compete in the election. AEUP did

not agree, arguing that EPRDF would have an unfair advantage as it

has 367 seats in the present parliament and, as the incumbent ruling

party, had the ability to field candidates for each of the 547

available seats. AEUP instead suggested 30 percent for

parliamentary seats, 10 percent for the candidates a party fielded

and 60 percent for all political parties.



EDP Seals the Deal

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4. (U) The proposal suggested by Lidetu Ayalew, Chairman of the EDP

was accepted by all negotiators. (NOTE. EDP is nominally an

opposition party but in reality generally follows the EPRDF lead.

END NOTE.) The accepted proposal will provide 55 percent of airtime

based the number of seats a party has in the parliament, 20 percent

for the number of candidates a party is able to field and 25 percent

for all political parties.



EPRDF to Have the Lion's Share

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5. (U) The number of seats each party has in the parliament is a

controversial issue because of the split within parties and changing

alliances following the 2005 elections. According to the

Secretariat of the Parliament, political parties and coalitions have

the following seats: EPRDF 367, Forum 60, EDP 43, CUDP 34, EPRDF

affiliates 42, and independent 1.



Non-EPRDF Negotiators Optimistic

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6. (SBU) According to Lidetu Ayalew of EDP, the fact that political

parties with different views were able to reach an agreement in and

of itself is a positive development. He said he was happy with the

agreement, and added that it is not the amount of airtime and print

space that is important, but how well a party uses both. Lidetu

said he plans to use EDP's allocation to address millions of voters

and explain the party's platform. Yaikob Likke of AEUP said the

agreement was not perfect and that it favored the EPRDF but that it

was nevertheless a good compromise.



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The Forum did not participate in any of the negotiated agreements

reached by political parties. Merera Gudina, Chairman of FJDD,

dismissed the agreement as a pre-arranged "EPRDF ploy." While he

didn't agree with the allocation, he said he would make good use of

what he was allocated to educate the public about the Forum's

platform.



Parties Have Yet to Agree on

Modalities of Public Debate

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7. (U) According to the electoral schedule published by the

National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE),political parties will

campaign from February 9 to May 20.

Party negotiators have not yet agreed on the modalities of the

public debates. EPRDF is not comfortable with unscripted, unedited

live transmissions. Non-EPRDF negotiators are insisting on live

transmissions of every public debate and say the recently signed

election code of conduct (Reftel) is available to address the

concerns of EPRDF.



8. (SBU) COMMENT: Despite the fact that opposition political

parties in Ethiopia are fragmented and weak, negotiated agreements

with the ruling party on an election code of conduct and the

allocation of airtime are steps in the right direction. In a

country like Ethiopia where the illiteracy rate is high (the GOE

admits to 60 percent, most experts estimate more than 70 percent),

the best medium to reach the electorate is the electronic media

(radio and television). Opposition political parties will now be

able to reach millions of voters. Whether the government allows

full access to the airtime and how the parties make use of it remain

to be seen. END COMMENT.



MUSHINGI