Ethıopıa Electıons

epa02169506 An elderly man casts his vote at a ballot station in Addis Ababa , Ethiopia ' s capital , 23 May 2010 . Ethiopians went to the polls on 23 May to vote in the country ' s first national elections since 2005 . According to the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia ( NEBE ) , some 30 million people are expected totheir votes on 23 May to choose from more than 6 , 000 candidates from over 60 political parties registered .  Many observers predict an easy win for the ruling EPRDF led by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi over main opposition coalition Medrek , who claim that its candidates are facing intimidation  and the election will be rigged by EPRDF who has tight control over state mediathe entire election process . According to a media report , Ana Gomes , a European Parliament member who headed the EU Electoral Observer Mission to Ethiopia in 2005 , has expressed that she ' does not expect the elections to be democraticthose who monitor the polls will face pressure from Ethiopiathe European Union to write a favourable report ' .  EPA/PHILIPP HEDEMANN