RFE/RL quotes the U.S. Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) as concluding that the Armenian authorities must be “frightened of losing power” if they continue with their attempts to prevent opposition access to the mainstream media.

Julie Finley’s comments come after concerns that have already been raised regarding the high cost of political advertising set during the election campaign period.

“Whoever has the power to do so, they’d better lower their rates,” she said. “I think it’s very odd to me that leaders in countries [like Armenia] are so afraid to make media available or transparency more prevalent. It says only one thing to me: that the leaders are afraid of losing their jobs and maybe the opportunity, just perhaps, of salting away some money in bank accounts in some place.”

“If you’re not afraid, then why not let this stuff open up, let the rates down, maybe create something where there aren’t even any rates, maybe have time on Saturdays and Sundays when there is three hours of free airtime,” Finley added. “There are all kinds of things you can do if you really want to have fair elections.”

[…]

Finely warned that equal campaigning opportunities are as important for the freedom and fairness of the Armenian elections as the voting and counting of ballots. “They [the authorities] refuse to understand that it is about the weeks, many weeks, before the election day, that everything that goes on in that period is as important as how the election day runs,” she complained. “And all of those things have to do with freedom of assembly, freedom of media. Do they all have access to the television? Do they all have access to the radio? Do they have the ability to gather supporters in a town square?”

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