Ethiopia's opposition accused Prime Minister Meles Zenawi's ruling coalition of rigging the country's election on Sunday, though no major violence was reported in sub-Saharan Africa's second most populous country.

The European Union's observation mission chief Thijs Berman praised the election as "peaceful and calm" and the national election commission said it had no evidence of fraud but opposition leaders in several regions cried foul.

"It doesn't look like an election, even by African standards," said Merara Gudina, a top leader of the opposition coalition Medrek, whose figurehead Birtukan Mideksa, 36, is serving a life jail sentence.

Merara cited several cases of suspected fraud in the southern opposition stronghold of Oromiya, particularly in the town of Ambo.

"There is no law that forces us to accept any result," he said, adding he had reports of ballot boxes being stuffed.

In Meles' hometown of Adwa, an former supporter of the premier who is now running for the opposition, complained of a litany of irregularities.

Aregash Adana told AFP many voters were not allowed to cast their ballot in secrecy, that opposition campaign posters were torn down overnight and that party observers were barred from monitoring polling.

"It is a very undemocratic process, the general atmosphere is not conducive... I think there will be manipulations," she said.

• SOURCE: SMH

The European Union's chief observer said voters had turned out in droves. While there were some allegations of irregularities that still needed to be evaluated, the parliamentary vote was "peaceful and calm."

In the opposition stronghold of Oromia, the home of Ethiopia's biggest ethnic group with 27 million out of 80 million people, one party leader said there was absolutely no way the election could be considered fair.

"The whole game is controlled by the local administration," Merera Gudina of the Oromo People's Congress (OPC) told Reuters in the village of Kolba Lincha in Oromia.

"A lot of soldiers are around. It's a sign of intimidation of the local population to vote for the government," he said. "So this election is not, really, in any standard, even by African standards, it is not fair and free."

Oromia, with the most constituencies, is seen by analysts as crucial to the election results in a country that is Washington's main ally in the region and a growing destination for foreign direct investment.

The OPC is part of Medrek, or Forum, a coalition of eight parties that is united chiefly by its desire to unseat Meles and is seen as the greatest threat to the EPRDF.

Analysts predict an overwhelming EPRDF victory that would hand Prime Minister Meles Zenawi another five-year term, possibly with more than the two-thirds majority he commands in parliament. Preliminary results are expected Monday.

But opposition parties allege widespread and systematic cheating, especially in remote areas where observation is difficult. Former Ethiopian president Negasso Gidada, now a leader of the main opposition coalition known as Medrek, says in thousands of precincts, his observers were denied access to the voting and counting process.

"We say the election took place without our observation, and that means if our observers have not participated, the voting day has been compromised," he said.

Hailu Shewal, leader of the All Ethiopia Unity Party went further. He said reports from his party's field workers indicated a 'disastrous situation', with opposition observers forced to flee in many places, and ruling party cadres marching voters into the voting booths and watching to see how they voted.

The 74-year-old veteran political leader said he is disgusted at the extent of the rigging, and vowed to quit politics.

"I am not participating in a ridiculous election. Never again," he said. "Maybe people think I am committing suicide, but politics is not my life. I am not in the business of cheating."