EU observers praise peaceful Ethiopia polls

(ADDIS ABABA) - Ethiopia's legislative elections Sunday took place peacefully and the turn-out was high, the European Union's observation mission said.

"We have witnessed peaceful and calm elections," mission chief Thijs Berman told reporters in Addis Ababa after polling closed.

"Ethiopians have shown full respect of their democratic right and full respect of their electoral law. We hope the counting will be taking place in the same atmosphere," he said.

Opposition leaders claimed that their own party observers were barred from polling stations in several parts of the country and accused Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of rigging his way to re-election.

"There has been a very high turnout. At around noon, 70 percent of the voters had already cast their vote," Berman said, without specifying how his team came to that figure.

Ethiopia is sub-Saharan Africa's second most populous country and 32 million people out of a total population of 80 million were registered to vote.

Berman praised the work of the national electoral board.

"In most of the polling stations, everything was well organised," said the Dutch member of the European parliament, adding that some technical errors were noted "here and there".

The EU mission chief said his team would study the opposition's complaints.

"There are some complaints about irregularities. We don't know yet the seriousness of the claims. We have received them from political parties and candidates," he said.

"It is far too early to give any judgement on the whole elections."

The EU had deployed around 160 observers and the African Union 60.