The National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) on Wednesday urged all contesting political parties to sign a non-violence act to ensure that Sunday's national elections are conducted peacefully and without any violence.

NEBE Chairman Kemal Bedri told journalists that he hopes all contesting parties to appear at 10 a.m. (0700 GMT) Thursday at the NEBE headquarters.

The NEBE chairman made the call after the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) and the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) expressed their agreement to sign the act with a view to conducting Sunday's elections in a peaceful manner.

The non-violence act was drafted in English by NEBE in collaboration with the Electoral Reform International Services ( ERIS).

ERIS, set up in 1991, is a leading European provider of electoral assistance.

Information Minister Bereket Simon on the occasion pledged on behalf of the EPRDF to fully implement the spirit of the non- violence act.

CUD's representative, engineer Gizachew Shiferaw, said the coalition was invited to sign the act by the ruling party and accepted the invitation as, he said, "the act will benefit us."

Both parties have admitted that there is currently an atmosphere of fear hovering over the public and thus they decided to sign the act.

More than 25.6 million of Ethiopia's 74.2 million people have registered to vote in the upcoming elections. Thirty-six political parties will contest places in the House of Peoples' Representatives, the lower house of parliament.

Prime Minister Meles Zenawi-led EPRDF is widely expected to win a third five-year term in the world's extremely poor country, but observers say the ruling party's parliamentary majority may dwindle under challenges from opposition candidates. The EPRDF currently holds 481 of the 547 seats in parliament.

Voters will also elect representatives in nine regional state parliaments that appoint members of the 112-seat Council of the federation, the upper house.

Ethiopia holds national polls every five years.