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ELECTION OBSERVATION: ARMENIAN ELECTION GENERALLY WELL-ADMINISTERED AND FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS RESPECTED, BUT SOME KEY CONCERNS REMAIN
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE)
Feb 19 2013
Armenia's presidential election was generally well-administered and
was characterized by a respect for fundamental freedoms, including
those of assembly and expression, concluded the international election
observation mission in a statement released today. At the same time,
a lack of impartiality on the part of the public administration and
the misuse of administrative resources resulted in a blurring of
the distinction between the activities of the state and those of the
ruling party, the statement said.
Candidate registration was inclusive, contestants had the chance
to campaign freely and voters had the opportunity to express their
choice. Media fulfilled their legal obligation to provide balanced
coverage and all contestants made use of their free airtime, the
statement said.
Among the concerns over misuse of administrative resources identified
in the statement was the participation, while on leave, of a large
number of public and civil servants in the campaign of the incumbent.
There have been clear improvements in the electoral process since
the previous presidential elections, and we have noted progress in
many areas, including the media environment and the legal framework,
said Karin Woldseth, the Head of the Parliamentary Assembly of the
Council of Europe (PACE) delegation. At the same time, our joint
findings note several important areas where marked improvement is
needed to ensure full public trust in the electoral process.
The electoral framework is comprehensive and conducive overall to the
conduct of democratic elections, and election commissions administered
the process in a professional manner, the statement said. It also
noted that, while several candidates alleged that voter lists were
inflated and raised concerns about possible impersonation of out-of
country voters, no evidence of this had been provided prior to election
day. The mission assessed positively the efforts that have been made
to improve the accuracy of voter lists, although further work in this
area remains to be done.
We have observed a calm election day, characterized by no major
difficulties in electoral procedures, following a somewhat quiet,
low-key election campaign lacking significant political debate and real
competition, said Milan Cabrnoch, the Head of the European Parliament
delegation. This was mainly due to the decision by three main parties
not to nominate candidates.
The campaign remained peaceful, although one candidate was shot and
injured early in the campaign under circumstances that are under
investigation. While election day was calm and orderly, it was marked
by undue interference in the process, mainly by proxies representing
the incumbent, and some serious violations, including cases of pressure
on voters, were observed.
Having been in the country for six weeks, we can say that candidates
were able to campaign freely and fundamental freedoms were respected.
Overall, the election was administered in a professional manner and
real efforts were made by the authorities to improve the quality
of the voter lists. The media covered all candidates in a rather
balanced manner, but that coverage would have benefited from more
critical analysis and debates between candidates, said Ambassador Heidi
Tagliavini, the Head of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions
and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) long-term election observation mission.
Unfortunately, the blurring of the distinction between the State and
the ruling party continues to be an issue. This was demonstrated in
the misuse of administrative resources, pressure on voters, and a
lack of impartiality on the part of the public administration.
From: A. Papazian
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE)
Feb 19 2013
Armenia's presidential election was generally well-administered and
was characterized by a respect for fundamental freedoms, including
those of assembly and expression, concluded the international election
observation mission in a statement released today. At the same time,
a lack of impartiality on the part of the public administration and
the misuse of administrative resources resulted in a blurring of
the distinction between the activities of the state and those of the
ruling party, the statement said.
Candidate registration was inclusive, contestants had the chance
to campaign freely and voters had the opportunity to express their
choice. Media fulfilled their legal obligation to provide balanced
coverage and all contestants made use of their free airtime, the
statement said.
Among the concerns over misuse of administrative resources identified
in the statement was the participation, while on leave, of a large
number of public and civil servants in the campaign of the incumbent.
There have been clear improvements in the electoral process since
the previous presidential elections, and we have noted progress in
many areas, including the media environment and the legal framework,
said Karin Woldseth, the Head of the Parliamentary Assembly of the
Council of Europe (PACE) delegation. At the same time, our joint
findings note several important areas where marked improvement is
needed to ensure full public trust in the electoral process.
The electoral framework is comprehensive and conducive overall to the
conduct of democratic elections, and election commissions administered
the process in a professional manner, the statement said. It also
noted that, while several candidates alleged that voter lists were
inflated and raised concerns about possible impersonation of out-of
country voters, no evidence of this had been provided prior to election
day. The mission assessed positively the efforts that have been made
to improve the accuracy of voter lists, although further work in this
area remains to be done.
We have observed a calm election day, characterized by no major
difficulties in electoral procedures, following a somewhat quiet,
low-key election campaign lacking significant political debate and real
competition, said Milan Cabrnoch, the Head of the European Parliament
delegation. This was mainly due to the decision by three main parties
not to nominate candidates.
The campaign remained peaceful, although one candidate was shot and
injured early in the campaign under circumstances that are under
investigation. While election day was calm and orderly, it was marked
by undue interference in the process, mainly by proxies representing
the incumbent, and some serious violations, including cases of pressure
on voters, were observed.
Having been in the country for six weeks, we can say that candidates
were able to campaign freely and fundamental freedoms were respected.
Overall, the election was administered in a professional manner and
real efforts were made by the authorities to improve the quality
of the voter lists. The media covered all candidates in a rather
balanced manner, but that coverage would have benefited from more
critical analysis and debates between candidates, said Ambassador Heidi
Tagliavini, the Head of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions
and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) long-term election observation mission.
Unfortunately, the blurring of the distinction between the State and
the ruling party continues to be an issue. This was demonstrated in
the misuse of administrative resources, pressure on voters, and a
lack of impartiality on the part of the public administration.
From: A. Papazian