Ethiopian opposition parties present common front

A coalition of Ethiopian opposition parties has presented a common manifesto for next year’s elections, saying it will field joint candidates in a bid to oust the Ethiopian Peoples' Revolutionary Democratic Front that toppled dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam in 1991. The Forum for Democracy and Dialogue comprises eight parties representing Ethiopia's multi-ethnic population. It wants the elections to be monitored by the European Union. Hundreds of opposition members have been arrested in the past few years, with many detained in recent months, blocking talks between government and coalition parties over rules for the election.