The Ethiopian police said Wednesday evening 17 people were killed and 40 others wounded in clashes between police and protesters during demonstrations against alleged fraud in the May 15 parliamentary polls.

Police in the capital Addis Ababa opened fire on stone-throwing crowds who were said to be looting shops, robbing banks, attacking police and trying to free detainees in custody.

The police blamed the chaos on the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD), the country's largest opposition party, for inciting the worst violence seen in the capital in four years. However, the CUD denied it was behind the protests and ensuing violence.

"Anti-peace forces instigated by the CUD tried to break into a bank and a jail to set free prisoners, and police acted in accordance to the law to reverse the action," said a statement issued from the country's Federal Police Commission.

"While restoring law and order, 17 people were killed and 40 were injured, mainly from tear gas," the statement said, adding "fifteen members of the police have been injured during the clash."

The police warned they would deal with participants in the clash. "All those who had a hand in the incident and those who instigated it will be charged in accordance to the law of the land once the investigation is completed," it said.

Tension has been rising in the extremely poor country since the May 15 parliamentary elections, with the opposition accusing the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front of vote-rigging.

The ruling party, led by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, retained control of parliament according to official election results that have not yet been ratified.

(Xinhua News Agency June 9, 2005)