"PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS WILL NOT YIELD TO PARLIAMENTARY ONES"

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[04:05 pm] 16 January, 2008

On January 16 Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic
of Armenia Tigran Torossian received the Secretary General of the
CIS Interparliamentary Assembly (IPA) Mikhail Krotov. The meeting
was attended by the Armenian Permanent Representative at the CIS
Interparliamentary Assembly Felix Ghushchian.

The partries focused on the forthcoming presidential elections in
Armenia. Th NA Speaker expressed hope that the elections will not be
less successful than the parliamentary ones and will meet international
standards, enabling observers to register good results. Mr. Torossian
attached importance to the work of the CIS IPA observation mission,
which had its contribution to the successful conduct of the
parliamentary elections in May.

On behalf of the President of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly and
himself Mikhail Krotov congratulated Mr. Torossian on New Year and
wished a democratic year to Armenia. After receiving an invitation of
carrying out an observation mission in Armenia, a group of 10 experts
has been formed to conduct an interim monitoring in early February.

Mr. Krotov confirmed that they had studied the Electoral Code of the
Republic of Armenia still during the parliamentary elections, they
are aware of the changes implemented in November. They think that the
Code has been maximally improved and corresponds to international
standards, thus creating good legal bases for the conduct of the
elections. According to his assessment, the Electoral Code provides
the opportunity to increase voter turnout, improve voting lists and
prevent fraud. Mr. Krotov also informed that in February the head of
the observation mission Anatoli Torshin intends to have meetings with
the leadership of Armenia, the President of the Central Electoral
Commission and presidential candidates.