CHOICE IS YOURS NGO’S OBSERVERS TO COME UP WITH PRELIMINARY STATEMENT ON MAY 14

Noyan Tapan
Apr 12 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 12, NOYAN TAPAN. The goal of Choice is Yours NGO, Unison
NGO on support to people with special needs, Against Legal Wilfulness
NGO accredited at CEC for implementing monitoring mission at May 12
parliamentary elections is one: to assist with holding of free and fair
elections. NGOs’ heads stated this at the April 12 meeting organized
at the Hayatsk club. It is noteworthy that in difference to Choice
is Yours organization implementing monitoring mission since 1999,
another two NGOs will observe electoral processes for the first time.

In the words of Haroutiun Hambartsumian, Chairman of Choice is Yours
NGO, 2292 observers accredited by the organization will be at all
of 1923 polling stations on the day of voting. It was also mentioned
that from April 8 the organization observes the preelectoral process
at all of 41 electoral districts, the results of which will be summed
up and published once in every 10 days.

The NGO will present the preelectoral situation in the whole territory
of Armenia at the press conference to be held four days before
the voting. The monitoring mission will come up with a preliminary
statement on May 14.

As H. Hambartsumian forecast, more falsifications will be committed
during the agitation campaign than on the day of voting. In his words,
though the sanctions envisaged for electoral falsifications have
become stricter, "the point is that there is the law, but no one is
punished for falsifications."

In the words of Armen Alaverdian, Head of Unison organization, one
of main goals of NGO’s 18 observers is also to find out accessibility
of polling stations for disabled people in consideration of the fact
that according to official data, there are 148 thousand disabled in
Armenia, the prevailing majority of which are of electoral age.

Mikayel Aramian, Chairman of Against Legal Wilfulness NGO, said
that on the day of elections nearly 50 members of NGO will implement
monitoring mission.

In his words, the main goal of the organization is to assist with the
process of power shift in the country exclusively through elections.