By Barry Malone

ADDIS ABABA, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Ethiopia freed 31 opposition members on Saturday who had been held without charge since a disputed 2005 election led to violent street protests, a senior official said.

The Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) members were arrested after they cried foul over some 2005 election results, sparking protests in which 200 people were killed, 800 wounded and 30,000 arrested, according to a parliamentary inquiry.

"They admitted their guilt in a letter," Special Adviser to Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, Bereket Simon, told Reuters. "That is the basis for their pardon."

Another 38 opposition members were pardoned and released last month, including party chairman Hailu Shawel and Addis Ababa mayor-elect Berhanu Nega.

They had been convicted of inciting violence and trying to topple the government but were released after writing apologies.

None of the 31 let out on Saturday had convictions.

The CUD has rejected the pardons as "theatre" meant to humiliate the opposition.

Bereket said the government wanted to give the opposition the chance to "participate in the democratic process as long as the rule of law is respected".

The opposition says government vote-rigging denied them victory in the polls and accuses Zenawi of being an increasingly intolerant autocrat.

It was unclear how many prisoners were still being held in relation to the riots.

AlertNet news is provided by