Armenian Elections

[Lucin]

Armenian elections are a "vast democratic improvement"

Armenia's parliamentary elections have been lorded as a "vast democratic improvement", as pro-presidential parties took the majority of the votes.

The monitoring team from The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe said the elections were a development in democracy on the previous, 2003, vote.

Republican party leader and present Prime Minister, Serge Sargysan, is the likely winner in the polls with a projected 40 per cent.

The vote is seen as a dress rehersal for the presidental election next year.

Armenia is a mountainous, land-locked, country and part of the former Soviet Union. It has emerged as a potential major transit route for oil from Central Asia into Europe.

This vote was marred by some violence, including an attempt to kill a senior member of the Republican party.

Source: http://euronews.tv/index.php?page=in...e=422000&lng=1

And this man is most probably Armenia's next president:

[Siamanto]

Re: Armenian Elections

European observers say Armenian election meets international standards

Mediamax news agency
13 May 07

Yerevan, 13 May: The joint Observation Mission of ODIHR/OSCE, the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the OSCE
Parliamentary Assembly and the European Parliament said in Yerevan
today that the parliamentary election in Armenia to a considerable
degree corresponded to international standards.

As the special coordinator of the OSCE for the election in Armenia,
Vice-President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Tone Tinsgaard said
at a news conference in Yerevan today, compared to the previous
parliamentary elections there were positive changes registered. The
observers also registered some shortcomings, in particular, the slow
speed of vote-counting, he said. Nevertheless, the given shortcomings
were not substantial. "All this is good for the young Armenian
democracy," Tone Tinsgaard said.

The head of the delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the
Council of Europe, Leo Platvoet, said that the election was a step
forward compared to the previous elections, which were criticized by
the international community. "The Council of Europe congratulates its
member on the progress made during the election," Leo Platvoet said.

http://groong.usc.edu/news/msg188935.html

[Siamanto]

Re: Armenian Elections

CIS observation mission hails Armenian parliamentary election

Shant TV, Yerevan
13 May 07

[Presenter] The Commonwealth of Independent States [CIS] observation
mission monitoring the parliamentary election [in Armenia] made public
today [13 May] its final report on the election results. The
239-strong CIS observation mission that monitored the election from
its beginning to the end has revealed minor irregularities, which
according to the mission head, Vladimir Rushaylo, were of technical
character and have not seriously affected the results of the
voting. The CIS observers have not registered any instance or
complaint about irregularities or fraud during the voting or the
tabulation of the election results. Comparing this election with the
previous ones in Armenia, Rushaylo underscored that this election was
organized better in technical and organizational terms than the
previous ones.

[Vladimir Rushaylo, addressing a news conference, in Russian] The
international observers of the Commonwealth of Independent States
think that the election to the Armenian National Assembly, held on 12
May 2007, was conducted in accordance with the norms of the republic's
election legislation; recognize the parliamentary election free, open
and transparent; state that the election became a crucial factor for
the stable development and further democratization of the state's
life; note that the country's government took concrete practical
measures aimed at ensuring the voters' right to make a choice freely
on the voting day for developing freedom in the country, expression of
free will and pluralism of opinions; propose other international
observers, who share the findings of the CIS observers, to join this
statement. The head of the CIS observation mission team will send this
statement to the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, the
presidents of the CIS member states, according to the CIS practice.

http://groong.usc.edu/news/msg188936.html

[Siamanto]

Re: Armenian Elections

Parliamentary election in Armenia met international standards: FSI public
organisation

Arminfo
2007-05-13 15:21:00


The parliamentary election in Armenia met international standards,
says the Free Society Institute public organisation in its resolution.

No gross violations able to influence the election result have been
recorded, FSI Head Edgar Hakobyan said at a press conference, Sunday.

He said that 1300 of 1405 observers of FSI constantly observed the
election at polling-stations. The remaining observers united in 11
mobile groups and visited polling-stations in Yerevan and regions.

Thus, Edgar Hakobyan said the groups visited 300 polling- stations in
Yerevan. "We can state with confidence that the parliamentary election
in Armenia was in conformity with democratic principles," he said.

http://groong.usc.edu/news/msg188941.html