“There were reports of harassment and intimidation, including cases of violence voiced both by the opposition and to a lesser extent by the ruling party. The sheer volume and consistency of these complaints is a matter of concern that has to be taken into consideration”, said Chief Observer Thijs Berman, who is a Dutch member of the European Parliament at the release of the report.

“The European Union observation mission considers that the playing field for the 2010 election was not sufficiently balanced, leaning in favor of ruling party in many areas”, went on Berman.

Among the positives noted by the EU EOM include that the media generally ensured a neutral tone when covering main campaign events; however, more than 50 % of campaign coverage was given to the ruling party in the state-owned media. The media were cautious in their reporting. A generous amount of free airtime was allocated by NEBE to all 63 political parties, but the limited outreach of print and broadcast media around the country weakened voters' ability to make an informed choice.

US National Security Council Spokesman Mike Hammer noted the US’s concern that international observers found that the elections fell short of international commitments.

“We are disappointed that U.S. Embassy officials were denied accreditation and the opportunity to travel outside of the capital on Election Day to observe the voting.  The limitation of independent observation and the harassment of independent media representatives are deeply troubling”, said Hammer.

“In recent years, the Ethiopian government has taken steps to restrict political space for the opposition through intimidation and harassment, tighten its control over civil society, and curtail the activities of independent media. We are concerned that these actions have
restricted freedom of expression and association and are inconsistent with the Ethiopian government’s human rights obligations.

“As voting concludes and the results are announced, we call on all parties to reject violence. We await the final assessments of the electoral process from independent observers, and encourage the government to address in good faith and impartially any concerns and disputes that are raised”, appealed Hammer.

The UK’s Foreign Office Minister Henry Bellingham on his part said: "I note the preliminary statement issued by the European Union Election Observation Mission (EOM), which is well-placed to give an independent, impartial assessment of the Ethiopian elections.
"The EOM highlighted some positive improvements in the run up to elections, in particular the establishment of the Electoral Code of Conduct, and noted the efficient administration by the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia.
"However, I share the EOM’s concern that there has been a narrowing of political space in recent years, including restrictions on civil society, resulting in an uneven playing field for parties. This created an environment in which freedoms of expression, assembly and association were too often denied”.

32 million registered voters out of 37 million eligible citizens voted in this year’s polls which is around 5.5 million additional voters from the 2005 one.