The National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) Friday urged police to probe the agitations conducted in the name of election campaign at legally prohibited areas.

It said in a news release that the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) office had submitted an appeal concerning the circulation of three different fliers containing messages with a potential to create social instability and to incite violence at St. Gabriel Church in Addis Ababa's Arada sub-city.

At its regular meeting on Friday, the board indicated that conducting political campaigns in places of worship is outlawed by the electoral law and thus decided that police should investigate the matter.

The board also said it has received information from election executives, indicating that election campaigns were being conducted at places of worship. It urged administrators of religious institutions to restrict the conducting of any election campaigns at such places.

Over 25.6 million Ethiopians are eligible to cast ballots on May 15 to elect a national parliament and eight regional assemblies. The newly elected federal lawmakers will then select a prime minister.

The national elections will be only the third democratic ballot in Ethiopia. The previous elections have been convincingly won by the ruling party.