The National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) announced Monday that vote counting in the parliamentary election in Somali state and the re-run elections in various parts of the country was concluded peacefully.

A total of 48 international election observers were deployed in the Somali state and re-run elections.

NEBE deputy head Tesfaye Mengesha told journalists that vote counting was concluded on Sunday in Somali state and in various polling stations in 31 constituencies, where re-run election was conducted.

Tesfaye said election results are publicized at the respective polling stations.

Election results would be sent to constituencies, he said, adding that the results related to the lower House of People's Representatives would be declared at 23 constituencies in the Somali state.

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 took place on Sunday.

Election results of for the Somali sate council members would be summed up and declared at 47 woredas in the coming few days, Tesfaye said.

Election results declared at the constituency level would be sent to the NEBE, Tesfaye said, adding that it would be declared at the national level on September 5, according to the timetable set by the board.

Tesfaye also said election results of constituencies where total re-run elections was conducted would be announced first at polling stations and then at the constituency level.

In constituencies where re-run election was partially conducted, election results would be sent to the board office after being announced at the polling station level, he said.

Meanwhile, the press and information department of the board office announced that some 12 international observers have taken part in the parliamentary election in Somali state.

According to the department, the US-based Carter Center and the European Union (EU) have deployed seven and five observers, respectively.

Similarly, a total of 36 foreign observers have participated in the re-run elections conducted in various parts of the country, where the Carter Center and the EU have deployed 22 and 14 observers respectively.

It was indicated that various local observers have also observed the two elections.

On August 9, NEBE said the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) has won 296 parliamentary seats, which would enable it form the federal government. It also said that out of the 178 investigated constituencies, the electoral board has ordered re-run elections in 31 of them.

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

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