ARMENIAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATION DESCRIBES PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS AS NON- DEMOCRATIC

Interfax News Agency
Russia & CIS
March 12 2008
Russia

The Armenian human rights organization Helsinki Association has
qualified the recent presidential elections in the country as not
meeting democratic standards and called for suspending Armenia’s
membership in the Council of Europe and other international
organizations.

"The Helsinki Association (Yerevan), which observed the February 19,
2008 presidential elections in Armenia and monitored the situation in
the post-election period, declares that the elections absolutely do
not meet democratic standards," the organization said in a statement
posted on the website titled ‘Human Rights in Russia’ ( ).

"The casting of fake ballots, the intimidation of voters, attacks on
journalists, the presence of local crime bosses at polling stations
in the capacity of election commission members, candidates’
representatives, or observers, and falsifications during the vote
counting could not fail to affect the voting results. All this prompted
natural objection from the opposition, which was reflected in peaceful
protests," it said.

The Helsinki Association urged international organizations "to demand
the invalidation of a decree of March 1, 2008 on imposing the state of
emergency in Yerevan," conduct "an unbiased and complete investigation
into the use of excessive force against demonstrators, in which foreign
experts would be involved," and also "suspend both Armenia’s membership
in international organizations, including the Council of Europe, and
all programs on providing economic and financial assistance to Armenia
until it fully complies with international democratic standards and
its international commitments in the human rights area."