Armenian presidential election mostly in line with international
commitments, but further improvements necessary

Strasbourg, 20.02.2008 – Yesterday’s presidential election in Armenia
was conducted mostly in line with the country’s international
commitments, although further improvements are necessary to address
remaining challenges, the International Election Observation Mission
said in a statement published today.

The observers found that the Armenian authorities made genuine efforts
to address shortcomings noted in previous elections. But there is a need
for further improvements and political will to tackle concerns such as
the lack of public confidence in the electoral process and the absence
of a clear separation between State and party functions. The conduct of
the count did not contribute to reducing suspicions among stakeholders.

"While we noted improvements in the framework for these elections,
problems with its implementation, especially during the vote count, in
some cases undermined the trust of the people," said John Prescott, the
head of the PACE delegation. "In the end, the final choice lies in the
hands of the Armenian people. Therefore, its trust in the electoral
process is crucial to genuine democracy."

Close to 400 observers, including some 75 parliamentarians, monitored
the elections for the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human
Rights (OSCE/ODIHR), the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly
(PACE), the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA), and the European
Parliament (EP).

Link to the full statement
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For further information contact:
Nathalie Bargellini, PACE Communication Unit,
mobile: +33 6 65 40 32 82,
e-mail: nathalie.bargellini@coe.int
Press Release
Parliamentary Assembly Communication Unit
Ref: 125a08
Tel: +33 3 88 41 31 93
Fax :+33 3 90 21 41 34
pace.com@coe.int
internet:

The Parliamentary Assembly brings together 318 members from the national
parliaments of the 47 member states.
President: Lluís Maria de Puig (Spain, SOC) ; Secretary General of the
Assembly: Mateo Sorinas.
Political Groups: EPP/CD (Group of the European People’s Party); SOC
(Socialist Group); EDG (European Democratic Group);

ALDE (Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe); UEL (Group of the
Unified European Left).

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress