The candidates had been made to undergo public evaluations at open meetings by the members, residents and youth and women's forums, it said. Ever since, the number of the electorate turning up at polling stations in the city to register to vote has been on the increase.

Addis Ababa EPRDF Committee member and Organizational section head of city election, Kamil Ahmed and the city's EPRDF committee and election public relations member Ermias Legesse told journalists that EPRDF in naming its candidates have taken due consideration for representation of nations and nationalities, gender as well as educational backgound.

The candidates have been selected against a check list of criteria, which also include competence, ethics and motivation, they said.

They said 60 per cent of the candidates are non-members selected on the basis of their support to the policies of the government, their educational backgrounds and resumes showing carreers of executive posts.

They said new candidates have been named in places of those few who failed to get public acceptance as has been expressed during the evaluation forums.

They said the candidates will receive training aimed at raising their competitiveness in their election campaigns.

E: 6:31 p.m.

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