A NUMBER OF ARMENIAN NGOS BELIEVE THAT "THE EUROPEAN OBSERVERS NOTICED ONLY THE NICE COVER OF WHAT THE AUTHORITIES PRESENTED THEM WITH"
Mediamax News Agency, Armenia
May 14 2007
Yerevan, May 14. /Mediamax/. A number of NGOs made a statement today
in connection with the parliamentary elections, having taken place
in Armenia, expressing "strong disappointment by the pre-election
campaign and the process of voting".
Mediamax reports that the NGOs stated that the authorities very well
realized that the international rating of Armenia and the opportunity
to be proposed European Neighborhood Policy and "Millennium Challenge"
programs will be at stake in case the elections did not correspond
to the international standards.
Nevertheless, the statement reads, "the fact did not stop the
authorities".
The NGOs noted that they registered serious violations of the Electoral
Code and human rights, and declared that the parliamentary elections
of May 12 in Armenia did not correspond to democratic standards.
The Chairman of the Helsinki Committee of Armenia Avetik Ishkhanian
stated today that "the principle of shift of power by means of
elections in Armenia functions only theoretically".
According to him, "the European observers noticed only the nice cover
of what the authorities presented them with".
The Head of the Armenian Office of Transparency International
Amalia Kostanian stated that "the outcome of these elections was
predetermined, as the pre-election bribes were distributed long before
the day of voting".
The statement was signed by the Open Society Institute Assistance
Foundation – Armenia, "Asparez" Journalists’ Club, Yerevan Press
Club, Transparency International – Armenia, "Tim" Research Center,
"Internews" and a number of other organizations.