EurasiaNet has two interesting articles ahead of Saturday’s parliamentary vote on themes that have been of particular interest on this blog — voter apathy and the need for Armenia to meet international standards for holding democratic elections. To begin with, the most obvious aspect of this election so far has been the significant amount of apathy, cynicism and confusion among voters — many of which say they will not take part in the poll.

With just over a day left in Armenia’s parliamentary campaign, many voters say that it will take more than promises of a strong army or increased pensions to get them to the polls on May 12. Some sociologists put the disinterest down to political parties’ failure to use professional public relations techniques. Many parties, however, counter that they see no reason for experts to help them engage with voters.

Frustration with past elections, which many voters believe were rigged, appears to drive much of the apathy.

“No matter what happens, our life will not change. No matter who is elected or not elected, nothing can change,” said 50-year-old Martin Hovhannisian, a former chemical engineer who now earns a living by driving a cab in one of Yerevan’s suburbs. “As I see no prospects, I will not go to the polls. The elections are for officials and do not change anything in the lives of ordinary people.”

Pensioner Margarit Minasian also plans to stay at home. She points at buses that brought students and people working for state-run organizations — reportedly involuntarily — to a Yerevan rally for the ruling Republican Party of Armenia.

“If everything is turned into theater and people try to show something using their strength, why should I believe in our tomorrow?” she sighed.

International observers have already noted this mood. During an April 27 press conference, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Armenia Office Head Vladimir Pryakhin stated that OSCE surveys indicate that more than half of Armenian voters do not want to participate in the elections.

[…]

But for voters like 75-year-old Yerevan resident Varazdat Hakobian a larger problem still lingers on.

“Everyone smiles, shows they think about us, while everyone has in their minds how to cheat us and get hold of our votes and then disappear for years until the next election,” Hakobian said. “Everyone is lying, so I won’t go to the polls. Let them lie without me.”

Incidentally, the article by Armenia Now’s Marianna Grigorian is accompanied by photographs taken by yours truly. The special election site has also now posted a new audio photostory by EurasiaNet’s Dean Cox. Meanwhile, there seems to be a mixed reaction to the conduct of the election so far. While the opposition screams foul, local and international observers instead point to some significant improvements over previous votes. OF course, there are also many complaints.

In recently released reports, local and international observers have noted improvements in Armenia’s preparations for its May 12 parliamentary vote, but a potpourri of election code violations and campaign irregularities suggest that the country’s election clean-up campaign may have mixed results.

[…]

Harutyun Hambardzumian, chairman of It’s Your Choice, Armenia’s largest domestic observation group, calls the 2007 campaign relatively quiet and balanced, compared with the 2003 parliamentary and presidential elections and 2005 constitutional referendum. The group ran more than 4,000 observation missions throughout Armenia between April 3 and May 8. “We have recorded both positive and negative phenomena,” Hambardzumian told journalists on May 8.

Among the positive developments, the group cites the planned publication of election results on the Central Election Commission’s website and voters’ ability to confirm their registration online. The OSCE/ODIHR noted that the Commission has “continued enhancing the openness of election preparation procedures,” and described most Territorial Election Commissions as “working effectively” and “open” to international observers.

[…]

It’s Your Choice observers have applauded numerous public statements by political parties and government officials about the importance of a free and fair election. Authorities’ condemnations of election violations and campaign violence also won high marks.

Some long-standing complaints about the campaign, however, remain cause for concern.

The It’s Your Choice report cites the distribution of various goods and services to voters as among the most egregious violations of the election code. The pro-government Prosperous Armenia Party, which has won wide renown for charitable activities associated with its head, Gagik Tsarukian, comes in for particular criticism.

[…]

The lack of a clear dividing line between official work trips by government ministers and campaign events was also cited by It’s Your Choice. Both the Republican Party and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, a member of Armenia’s governing coalition, were cited in this regard. “The starting conditions for political forces competing for parliamentary seats have not been equal,” commented Hambardzumian.

Some opposition members have also complained about the collection of passport data as another campaign practice that relies on officials’ reluctance to respond. [For details, see the Eurasia Insight archive.] The OSCE/ODIHR report, however, describes reported instances of passport collection as “anecdotes” that are “unverifiable,” but notes that such stories indicate voter “mistrust and cynicism among part of the electorate.”

Well, I don’t think anybody expected democratic elections in Armenia, but while many observers might talk about evolution rather than revolution what will really decide matters will be election day itself. Meanwhile, various media monitoring organizations report that Public TV has provided more balanced reporting than during previous elections, although the third interim report by OSCE/ODIHR criticizes its coverage of the scandal involving Orinats Yerkir’s Artur Baghdasarian and the British Embassy.