"BY THESE ELECTIONS ARMENIA SET A NEW STANDARD FOR THE FOLLOWING ONES", HEAD OF THE INTERNATIONAL OBSERVATION MISSION BELIEVES

Mediamax News Agency, Armenia
May 22 2007

Yerevan, May 22. /Mediamax/. Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian
received the Head of the International Observation Mission, Ambassador
Boris Frlec in Yerevan today.

As Mediamax was told in the press service of the government today,
Boris Frlec stated that the group of long-term observers is working
out the final document, in which the results of observations of the
parliamentary elections of May 12 in Armenia will be presented in
detail, including the noticed shortcomings and proposals for their
elimination.

"By these elections Armenia set a new standard for the following
elections. One step is followed by another and step-by-step the process
becomes irreversible", the Head of the Observation Mission stated.

At that he noted that despite the fact that Armenia fulfilled the basic
commitments to OSCE, including the ones related to holding agitation,
securing free access to media and others, there still remain some
shortcomings, related to the legal field, which were revealed after
the implementation of the reformed Electoral Code in practice. The
shortcomings should be seriously studied and efficient solutions to
them should be found.

According to Boris Frlec, the Republican Party of Armenia, which
gained the majority in the new parliament, can play an important role
in the solution of these problems, and, in case of need, contribute
to the changes in the Electoral legislation.