Ethiopia’s ruling junta ‘wins’ 499 out of 547 seats in elections

ADDIS ABABA (Xinhua) — The Ethiopian ruling party junta has gained 499 seats in the 547-member parliament, media reported on Tuesday.

The report quoted the Ethiopian National Electoral Board as saying the outcome emerged when 536 results were announced.

Earlier on Tuesday, the National Electoral Board has announced that the ruling party, the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) Woyanne, is leading the fourth national elections by winning 477 of the 547 federal parliamentary seats.

Public Relations Head with the Board, Mohammed Abdurahman, said in a statement on Tuesday that the EPRDF won 38 seats in Tigray, 137 in Amhara, 160 in Oromia and eight seats in Afar states, according to the provisional election results.

Hundreds of thousands of members and supporters of the EPRDF on Tuesday celebrated party’s victory after announcement of provisional election results by the National Electoral Board.

Meles Zenawi, Ethiopia’s current Prime Minister and Chairperson of EPRDF, accompanied by senior government officials, joined the huge crowd at Maskal Square, the grand one in Addis Ababa, capital of the nation.