|
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) - Ethiopia's ruling coalition and its allies won a majority in parliamentary elections that tested the African nation's commitment to democracy, but the opposition made significant gains, according to provisional results released Saturday.
Prime Minister Meles Zenawi's coalition won 269 of the 547 seats in the May 15 vote, while four small independent parties allied with his won another 14, said Getahun Amogne, a spokesman for the National Electoral Board. Twenty seats are filled by appointment by the ruling party.
Meles is known as one of the continent's more progressive leaders, and many considered the race a test of his commitment to democratic reform. His party held nearly 95 percent of the seats in the outgoing parliament.
|