The ruling Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) has won 296 parliamentary seats, which would enable it to form the federal government, according to latest official election results issued here on Tuesday.

Kemal Bedri, chairman of the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE), told a press conference that the ruling party has garnered 296 seats, down from 481 in the last lower house of federal parliament, but well above the absolute majority of 274.

The Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) and the United Ethiopian Democratic Front (UEDF), the country's two main opposition groups, were in second and third places with 109 and 52 seats respectively. They held 12 seats in the last lower house of federal parliament.

Analysts say that with 85 percent of Ethiopia's population living in rural communities, it is in the countryside where the elections have been decided. The ruling party has long kept its traditional power base in those communities. However, they say opposition parties are better represented in parliament than previously.

The opposition parties remained fragmented in organization, ideology and also at an operational level, they say.

NEBE released these results for the lower House of People's Representatives in 492 of the 524 constituencies where elections took place on May 15, Kemal said.

The electoral board has declared all results official except in 32 constituencies where re-run elections and a by-election will be conducted, he said.

Kemal expressed his gratitude to the peoples of Ethiopia for their active participation in the elections and for their commendable patience in waiting for the final results.

He also urged contending political parties to accept the final results.

"The parties should accept the final official results which have come after an investigation process that was long, but was also transparent, participatory and the rules of which had been agreed to between the parties," he said.

Kemal also announced that out of the 178 investigated constituencies, the electoral board has ordered re-run elections in 31 of them.

Re-run elections will also be held for 79 regional state council seats. The re-run elections will take place on August 21, the same date as federal and state council elections in the Somali regional state. These results will be announced on September 5.

NEBE is responsible for the administration, conduct and supervision of all elections in Ethiopia's federal and state constituencies.

Ethiopians went to poll on May 15 in the country's two separate elections to elect representatives to the House of People's Representatives and eight regional councils. Elections in southeastern Somali state will take place on Aug. 21.

Ethiopia has a two-house parliament: the 110-seat upper House of the Federation and the 547-seat lower House of People's Representatives.

Source: Xinhua