International Herald tribune, France
May 13 2007

Observers say Armenia election meets international standards
By C.J. Chivers Published: May 13, 2007

MOSCOW: Parliamentary elections in Armenia largely complied with
international standards, marking the first positive assessment of an
election in the former Soviet state since it gained independence in
1991, Western election observers said Sunday.

A coalition of pro-government parties took a strong majority in the
131-seat National Assembly, according to preliminary election
results, giving a victory to Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan, who is
regarded as the principal contender in the presidential race next
year.

Elections in much of the former Soviet space have routinely been
rigged since the collapse of communism. The results announced Sunday
in Yerevan, the Armenian capital, came after intense diplomatic
pressure against Armenia to avoid another flawed poll. The United
States had threatened to withhold foreign aid if serious
irregularities were repeated, while the European Union had said it
would scale back its relations.

Opposition parties held public rallies during the campaign without
police harassment and were allowed free air time on public television
– signs of an open campaign that have often been suppressed in other
former Soviet states.

"We saw the way in which serious efforts by the authorities to
address problems that marred previous elections can result in a
healthier election campaign," said Boris Frlec, the head of the
long-term observer mission from the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe.

Sargsyan hailed the results and the observers’ assessment.

"I am happy that the international observers have acknowledged that
these were the best elections ever held in Armenia in its 15 years of
independence," he said in an e-mail message.

While the observers commended an improvement from past elections,
they noted that shortfalls remain and that there were isolated
reports of fraud and double voting. Opposition parties said that many
votes had been bought.

A small protest began in the capital as opposition parties claimed to
have evidence of irregularities. There were no immediate reports of
arrests or violence, and the protest quickly fizzled in the rain.