Category: 2018

OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) conducting observation mission in Armenia, has published an interim report on the early parliamentary elections set for December 9.

The report says that elections are administered by the Central Election Commission (CEC), 38 Territorial Election Commissions (TECs) and 2,010 Precinct Election Commissions (PECs). The CEC is holding regular sessions and reaching decisions collegially and unanimously. No concerns were raised so far about the confidence in the CEC and TECs.

According to the report, preliminary lists have been posted for public scrutiny with a total of 2,577,112 registered voters. By law, after elections, the CEC will scan and publish all signed voter lists and post them on its website. A number of ODIHR Election Observation Mission (EOM) interlocutors expressed concerns about privacy of citizens' data.

The CEC registered candidate lists of nine political parties and two party alliances. All contestants met the 25 per cent gender quota. No concerns were raised about the candidate registration process.

OSCE/ODIHR says the election campaign officially kicks off on 26 November but early campaigning is not prohibited. Party interlocutors expressed confidence to the ODIHR EOM about the possibility to campaign freely, but some raised concerns about potential abuse of state resources, vote-buying and pressure on voters, especially in rural areas. Majority of ODIHR EOM interlocutors voiced concerns about intolerant and inflammatory rhetoric, particularly online.

The report also points to the fact that campaigning by government officials while performing their official duties is prohibited, adding that several political parties claimed in the media and to the ODIHR EOM that a 19 November event when the acting prime minister visited construction sites and attended a town celebration in the Gegharkunik region was an abuse of administrative resources.

It notes that the media are diverse, but many private outlets, including some major TV stations, are perceived as strongly associated with political parties. The public TV, financed by the state budget, continues to be perceived as having a pro-government editorial policy. In addition to the media, the role of social networks is growing rapidly. Facebook, in particular, has become a significant platform for political information and debate.

Some ODIHR EOM interlocutors noted improvements but characterized the public discourse as not conducive to criticism of the acting government, particularly the prime minister. 

Russia should consider the concerns of the Armenian side regarding selling Russian weaponry to Azerbaijan, Konstantin Zatulin, first deputy chairman of the committee of the State Duma for the CIS and European integration affairs said after the first plenary session of Lazarev Club conducted in Yerevan today, adding though that it is his personal opinion.

Asked how he assesses the regular sell of weaponry to Azerbaijan by Russia and Belarus, Zatulin said, “I cannot speak about Belarus.  I can say that all such issues should be discussed in the sidelines of the CSTO and if it does not fit into partnership commitments certain decisions should be made. As far as I know there are no official ban or permission for selling weaponry,” Zatulin said.

He stressed that Russia sells weaponry to Azerbaijan but provides to Armenia.

“I personally think, I want to stress that it is my personal opinion, we should consider Armenia’s concerns regarding sell of weaponry to Azerbaijan especially after the 2016 April war. My position is not a secret, I defend it in all formats,” Zatulin said.

Russian Federal Council member, Armenia’s national hero Nikolay Rizhkov will arrive in Armenia in December, first deputy chairman of the committee of the State Duma for the CIS and European integration affairs Konstantin Zatulin told the reporters in Yerevan today.

He said Rizhkov will participate in the events dedicated to the 30th anniversary of disastrous earthquake in Armenia’s Spitak.

The statement made by Armenia’s acting PM Nikol Pashinyan addressed to the authorities of Artsakh was not impulsive, it was well developed statement voiced as if unprompted, Republican party candidate Davit Shahnazaryan told the reporters today.

“It comes in the same chain with the statement of Sasun Mikayelyan,” Shahnazaryan said.

“The authorities of Karabakh did not respond to that provocative statement as Pashinyan’s experiment, he already carries out with his team, is aimed at creating public opposition with the authorities of Artsakh,” he said, adding that of course the latter will not give in to such provocation and unlike the ruling regime in Armenia they have high level of responsibility.

Shahnazaryan said till now no one in Armenia spoke in such manner with not only Artsakh authorities but Artsakh’s citizen as well.