PanARMENIAN.Net

Armenia: CIS observers offer colleagues to join their statement
13.05.2007 13:02 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ 239 people are accredited in the CIS Observation
Mission. They represent legislative, executive, electoral bodies of
Armenia, Byelorussia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kirgizia, Moldova, Russian
Federation, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The CIS Mission also includes
representatives of Byelorussia-Russia Parliamentary Union and bodies
of the Commonwealth – Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of CIS
member-states, the Executive Committee of the Commonwealth of
Independent States. Executive Secretary of the Commonwealth, head of
CIS Mission Vladimir Rushaylo made this statement to a press
conference in Yerevan.

He underlined CIS international observers fulfilled their duties in
accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Armenia, they did
not interfere in the election process and were guided by the principle
of political neutrality towards participants of the electoral process.

`Observers were provided the right to talk with participants of
electoral process, representatives of executive bodies. The
Headquarters of the CIS Mission held meetings with the Central
Electoral Commission, Office of General Prosecutor, Police and the
Armenian National Commission on Television and Radio.

Members of the Headquarters exchanged information with the
representatives of political parties and their campaign public
headquarters, state bodies, which are responsible for preparation and
conduction of elections, candidates to the Armenian National Assembly,
their proxies,’ Rushaylo said.

He added the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of CIS member-states
established an informational-consultative center, which allowed
observers of the Commonwealth Mission to evaluate the process of
campaign fully. During their activity the CIS long-term observers
visited all constituencies.

`The CIS Mission worked in an open and public way. It released three
informational messages, a press release and an interim report. During
the long-term observation the Mission singled out separate
shortcomings in organizing campaign and work of commissions. For
example, they concerned the state of voters’ list, absence of
signboards with the number of polling stations and information about
the borders of polling stations, about the composition of Precinct
Electoral Commissions. Such shortcomings were registered in 9, 10, 16,
25 constituencies, however they were of technical character, they were
not large scale and the commissions immediately eliminated them by the
offers of observers. During the monitoring the Mission continued the
practice of exchanging views on holding the campaign with OSCE
long-term observers,’ the head of CIS Observation Mission underscored.