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19 June, 2007
Addis Ababa, June 19, 2007 (Addis Ababa) - The House of Peoples' Representatives has endorsed by majority votes a motion providing for the prolongation of the tenure of the Addis Ababa Caretaker Administration's board, and a bill providing for the amendment of the charter of the DireDawa Administration. The House has meanwhile referred three draft proclamations to pertinent standing committees for further scrutiny.
Accordingly, the term of office given to the board of the Addis Ababa Caretaker Administration has been prolonged as the motion won a majority vote of 266 as against 31 votes against and 40 abstentions during the House's regular session on Tuesday.
The bill amending the DireDawa Administration's Charter has also been endorsed by a 268 majority votes against only one opposition and 78 abstentions.
The Caretaker Administration had been given one year originally before handing over to elected leaderships upon the conduct of a re-election for the city, sub-city and Kebele elections.
However, as per the requests made by the parties that have seats in Parliament as well as by regional councils, the time for provincial elections had been prolonged earlier.
While it was expected that the re-elections in Addis Ababa would be conducted side by side with the national provincial elections, the prolongation of the time on the latter made it impossible for the caretaker administration to leave office. This necessitated the need also to prolong the tenure of the caretaker administration's board.
It was noted during deliberations that since it was a necessary condition for the caretaker administration to transfer power for those who would come out winners of the re-election, it must remain in office until the rescheduled provincial election time.
Among the oppositions, CUDP had called for an adjournment of the motion expressing a misgiving on whether the prolongation of the caretaker administration's time in office answers to the expectations and interests of city residents.
Another opposition, EDUP-Medhin, however, backed the motion saying it was necessary to prolong the caretaker administration's time in office. It called for the immediate commencement of preparations to put in place what it said would be the conditions basic for the conduct of the upcoming re-election and the provincial elections.
OFDM, yet another opposition, voiced opposition to the motion, though it said it did support the caretaker administration.
The parliamentary team on its part said it will not oppose to the idea of holding the elections around December or January next year saying there had been convincing reasons why the re-elections had not been conducted so far.
Responding to the request for adjournment of the motion in relation to the provincial elections, the parliamentary team said the same agenda rolled over since long and thus there would not be a way of considering the request.
Meantime, the House endorsing the Charter of the DireDawa Interim Administration replaced Article 2 by one which states that the office of the DireDawa interim administration shall be extended until the upcoming provincial elections.
The House concluded its session after having referred the inland cargo transport, the multi-modal transport system and the maritime sector administration bills to the Infrastructure Development Affairs Standing Committee and the Trade and Industry Affairs Standing Committee.
The Ethiopian News Agency