EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BE OK
Support A1+!CIS inter-Parliamentary Assembly Observers’ group has been to Armenia on the mission for watching elections. 7 MPs from Russia, Georgia, Tajikistan, Kirghizia and Moldavia are included in the group.
Some of the observers suggested to be allowed to sit near the committee members during the votes calculation on the election day. Naturally, CEC didn’t meet their suggestion.
CEC Chairman Artak Sahradyan says the suggestion runs counter to both Electoral Code and Observer’s Code, adopted by OSCE . Besides, there is a standpoint even if observers sit near committee members, they won’t be able to understand what kind of breach is carried out.
Visiting CEC, Observers’ group referred to the incident with Hayk Babukhanyan in Ashtarak. According to Artak Sahradyan, observers were aware of it but were told the details in the CEC. During the meeting with CIS observers CEC Chair had to answer questions on election campaign, facts on falsification, CEC reaction to them etc. Observers were most interested in them.
After having been to Armenia and meeting Parliament and CEC members, observers, delegation head Konstantin Markelov in particular, had an impression “election campaign of more than a month was rather active and without any gross violation of law” .
By the way, the appraisal was made after observers had been well aware of the extraordinary incident in Artashat. Instead they announce there are no flagrant breaches of election order.
Observers consider breaches like inaccuracy in the election lists, violations by or towards some candidates as “little ones”.
The delegation, headed by Markelov, will visit election districts on February 19 as much as possible. Later it will make an official statement regarding election process and results legality.
