--- a/babel/compat.py
+++ b/babel/compat.py
@@ -12,11 +12,6 @@
 # history and logs, available at http://babel.edgewall.org/log/.
 
 try:
-    from xml.etree import ElementTree
-except ImportError:
-    from elementtree import ElementTree
-
-try:
     any = any
 except NameError:
     def any(iterable):

--- a/scripts/import_cldr.py
+++ b/scripts/import_cldr.py
@@ -17,12 +17,18 @@
 import os
 import re
 import sys
+# don't put the ElementTree import in babel/compat.py as this will add a new
+# dependency (elementtree) for Python 2.4 users.
+try:
+    from xml.etree import ElementTree
+except ImportError:
+    from elementtree import ElementTree
 
 # Make sure we're using Babel source, and not some previously installed version
 sys.path.insert(0, os.path.join(os.path.dirname(sys.argv[0]), '..'))
 
 from babel import dates, numbers
-from babel.compat import any, ElementTree
+from babel.compat import any
 from babel.plural import PluralRule
 from babel.localedata import Alias