ODIHR mission worked out recommendations to eliminate omissions during elections in Armenia

24.05.2007 18:22

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian hosted OSCE/ODIHR observation mission head Boris Frlec May 24. At the meeting Boris Frlec presented the RA FM the evaluation of the May 12 parliamentarian elections. He stressed they are evidences for the fact that Armenia generally has fixed progress in organizing and conducting elections. He said the mission has worked out recommendations to eliminate the existing omissions. In his part Vartan Oskanian underlined the importance of objective conclusion by international observers and assured the OSCE/ODIHR representative that the coming presidential elections will become one more important step on the way of strengthening democracy in Armenia, the RA MFA Press Office reports.

ALEKSANDER ISKANDARIAN: ASSESSMENT OF THE ELECTIONS IS OF GREAT IMPORTANCE FOR THE POSITIVE IMAGE OF THE COUNTRY

ArmRadio.am, 22.05.2007 18:00

Political scientist, Director of the Caucasian Media Institute Aleksander Iskandarian stated today that from the point of view of the international community, the parliamentary elections in Armenia were “a serious step in the direction of electoral development,” Mediamax reports.

The political scientist noted that the international observers gave a quite high assessment to the elections in Armenia, and this is of serious importance for the formation of a positive image of the country. Aleksander Iskandarian noted that the given assessment was “especially jealously perceived by Azerbaijan.”

According to the political scientist, “it would be possible to cheat the international observers if they were assessing the political culture of Armenia, but they were assessing the technologies of the electoral process, and they were not cheated from this point of view.”

Aleksander Iskandarian also stressed that “a serious step in the direction of development of the political system became the fact that the voting process of Armenian electors for the first time was not of mass emotional character, but of a rational one.”

“BY THESE ELECTIONS ARMENIA SET A NEW STANDARD FOR THE FOLLOWING ONES”, HEAD OF THE INTERNATIONAL OBSERVATION MISSION BELIEVES

Mediamax News Agency, Armenia
May 22 2007

Yerevan, May 22. /Mediamax/. Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian received the Head of the International Observation Mission, Ambassador Boris Frlec in Yerevan today.

As Mediamax was told in the press service of the government today, Boris Frlec stated that the group of long-term observers is working out the final document, in which the results of observations of the parliamentary elections of May 12 in Armenia will be presented in detail, including the noticed shortcomings and proposals for their elimination.

“By these elections Armenia set a new standard for the following elections. One step is followed by another and step-by-step the process becomes irreversible”, the Head of the Observation Mission stated.

At that he noted that despite the fact that Armenia fulfilled the basic commitments to OSCE, including the ones related to holding agitation, securing free access to media and others, there still remain some shortcomings, related to the legal field, which were revealed after the implementation of the reformed Electoral Code in practice. The shortcomings should be seriously studied and efficient solutions to them should be found.

According to Boris Frlec, the Republican Party of Armenia, which gained the majority in the new parliament, can play an important role in the solution of these problems, and, in case of need, contribute to the changes in the Electoral legislation.

PALLONE COMMENDS ARMENIA ON FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS

Washington, DC - Speaking on the floor of the House of Representatives yesterday, Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, commended Armenia for holding free and fair Parliamentary elections on May 12.

“This is the first positive assessment of an election in the former Soviet Republic since it gained independence in 1991,” Pallone said. “This encouraging outcome will most certainly enhance and deepen U.S.-Armenia relations, while also elevating Armenia’s reputation regionally and internationally.”

Pallone noted that Armenia’s achievements address concerns raised by the Millennium Challenge Corporation, and urged the MCC to fully fund its five-year $235 million Compact with Armenia.

He also renewed his call for $75 million in economic assistance to Armenia in Fiscal Year 2008. “This assistance demonstrates our commitment to Armenia, which is a friend and a supporter of U.S. policies for peace and security in that part of the world,” he said.

Pallone also entered into the congressional record a letter he sent with Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) to President Robert Kocharian and Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan, marking Armenia’s achievement

Still, like I said, it’s a step in the right direction if all the negative aspects of the election can now be addressed by all the relevant players. If they can, we might very well be on the path of democratization for the first time in the 8.5 years I’ve been here, so let’s hope. Anyway, Pallone’s statement indicates the importance for Armenia to be democratic.