International media described the signing of the Joint Electoral Code of Conduct and its Implementation Guideline among the ruling party and three Ethiopian political parties as a historic event.

Media that include Reuters and AFP as well as websites that include Netnews Publisher, Africa Press Agency, and the Star provided coverage for the signing of the Ethiopian electoral code of conduct and its guideline.

Especially, Netnews Publisher and the Africa Press Agency made the signing of the electoral code of conduct and its implementation guideline a front page story.

According to the international media, the signing of the electoral code of conduct and its implementation guideline following two-month negotiations will enable the country conduct free and fair national elections to be held in May 2010.

"This puts us all on equal footing and forces us to have an election that reaches the standards of a democracy," Reuters quoted Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi as saying.

The ruling party and three opposition political parties of the country have reached to a joint agreement on election issues after a comprehensive negotiation held for more than two months, AFP reported.

Websites also said the signing of the electoral code of conduct and its implementation guideline is historic event show political parties in Ethiopia can resolve disagreements through negotiations.

According to the international media, the signing of the joint electoral code of conduct will encourage the electorate to actively take part in the upcoming national elections.

The singing of the joint electoral code of conduct also depicts that the constitutional order in Ethiopia was laid on firm grounds as the parties have agreed to establish a joint council to handle problems related to election disputes.