Washington, D.C. – The Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) congratulates the winners of Armenia's snap parliamentary elections and the new members of the parliament. We welcome the preliminary findings of the International Election Observer Mission that the elections were "competitive and generally well-managed," that "fundamental rights and freedoms were generally respected," as was the freedom of _expression_, which is guaranteed by Armenia's constitution.
The Assembly commends the electorate of the Armenian Republic for its continued and consistent commitment to democracy and the rule of law.
This positive assessment of the democratic elections and established culture of democracy in Armenia was shared by the U.S. Department of State: "The United States is committed to strengthening our partnership with Armenia based on shared democratic values. We commend Armenia for the progress it has made with respect to reforms and anti-corruption efforts and encourage Armenia to continue along this path, in line with the aspirations of the Armenian people, as expressed in the spring of 2018."
We note the transparency of the Armenian Central Election Commission and its work over time as well as the 250 OSCE-ODIHR election observers. In light of the decades-long effort by Turkey and Azerbaijan to isolate Armenia and undermine democracy, the Assembly praises the Armenian people for exercising their fundamental democratic rights. Armenia and Artsakh's democracies stand in stark contrast to those of Turkey and Azerbaijan.
This election took place under traumatic circumstances after the Fall 2020 war initiated by Azerbaijan with the full backing of Turkey, and Armenians passed the test. We are especially glad to see that only legal means are being planned to challenge the results. Now that the elections are over, it is imperative that the parties come together for the common good of the nation and its people.
The Assembly is committed to helping on a non-partisan basis, and like so many others in the diaspora, looks forward to a brighter future where the threat of genocide is eliminated, human rights are respected, and people are free to reach their full potential with a sense of security and prosperity for all.
We wish the new government every success as we all continue our work for the betterment of the Armenian people.
Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.
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NR# 2021-57