The Ethiopian Democratic Party, which was once the most active opposition party in the country's parliament, conceded defeat today, as it appears to have lost all of its seats in the recent election. Party leaders say they want to work with the government to build an election process that allows room for genuine competition.
One of the leaders of the Ethiopian Democratic Party, Mesifin Mengistu, sunk his head into his hands while a party spokesperson read a statement.
The statement says the ruling party marginalized the opposition in recent elections by ordering low-level cadres to secure a win, "by any means possible." As a result, the statement claims, voters were pressured, harassed and intimidated. But unlike Ethiopia's other two leading opposition parties, the EDP is not calling for new elections.
