ODIHR DIRECTOR DISSATISFIED WITH REFUSE TO REPRESENTATIVES OF TURKEY FOR OBSERVING ELECTIONS IN ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
08.05.2007 14:22 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "An invitation to observe elections is an invitation
to all OSCE participating States, and is issued in order to ensure
equal treatment and strengthen the diversity of observation,"
Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human
Rights (ODIHR), Ambassador Christian Strohal stated in connection
with Armenia’s refusal to issue visas for eight OSCE observers from
Turkey. "Preventing some observers from participating contradicts the
principles of transparency and objectivity which are an indispensable
aspect of democratic elections," he said. The ODIHR Director also
stressed that this refusal came unexpectedly and no official reason
was given as to why the observers could not enter the country. "The
Armenian Government, just like the governments of all other OSCE
States, is bound by its acceptance of OSCE commitments on democratic
elections, which include an invitation to all OSCE States to observe
elections," Strohal stated, the OSCE Press Office reports.

There will be no Turkish observers at the Armenian May 12 parliamentary
election, RA MFA Acting Spokesman Vladimir Karapetian told the
PanARMENIAN.Net journalist yesterday. He said, Armenia and Turkey
do not have diplomatic relations and that is why Turkish observers
won’t be present at the election.