Ethiopians went to the polls Sunday in an election analysts say will likely return the prime minister back into power after more than a decade leading the Horn of Africa nation.

Prime Minister Meles Zenawi is a major western ally who has helped battle Islamic rebels in the region.
The opposition decried Ethiopia's last election in 2005 as rigged, and has said it does not expect Sunday's poll to be any better. New York-based Human Rights accused the Ethiopian government of “waging a coordinated and sustained attack on political opponents, journalists, and rights activists” ahead of the elections.”
“Expressing dissent is very dangerous in Ethiopia,” said Georgette Gagnon, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “The ruling party and the state are becoming one, and the government is using the full weight of its power to eliminate opposition and intimidate people into silence.”
Scores of citizens were arrested in 2005 after they challenged the vote that favored Zenawi and his party, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front.
European Union observes said it fell “short of international principles for genuine” democracy.
“The counting and aggregation processes were marred by irregular practices, confusion and a lack of transparency,” the observers said in a report. “The human rights situation rapidly deteriorated in the postelection day period when dozens of citizens were killed by the police and thousands were arrested.” (Source: CNN)