U.S. decided to cancel the project on conducting exit polling during
presidential elections in Armenia

January 18, 2008

Yerevan /Mediamax/. U.S. Embassy in Armenia stated today that `after
intensive and detailed discussions with interested parties regarding a
proposal to conduct exit polling in Armenia during the 2008
presidential elections’, the International Republican Institute (IRI)
and USAID have decided to cancel the project.

`After intensive and detailed discussions with interested parties
regarding a proposal to conduct exit polling in Armenia during the 2008
presidential elections, the International Republican Institute (IRI)
and Baltic Surveys Ltd/Gallup Organization were unable to resolve all
of the detailed procedural questions in a way that was fully
satisfactory to all sides. Consequently, the U.S. Embassy and USAID
have decided to cancel the project.

We continue to think that, in principle, exit polling can be a useful
instrument for enhancing the transparency and credibility of elections.
In this particular case, however, given the limited preparation time
remaining prior to the February 19 election and the questions raised
from various parts of the political spectrum, we decided it would be
wiser not to go forward with a project that faced implementation
problems and risked becoming an unhelpful distraction in the Armenian
political debate’, the statement reads.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress