Armenia’s Presidential Elections Calm But No Real Competition, Meps

ARMENIA’S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS CALM BUT NO REAL COMPETITION, MEPS SAY

ENPI Info Centre
Feb 20 2013

Armenia’s presidential elections on 18 February were calm but the
campaign lacked substantive political debate and real competition,
European Parliament (EP) observers have said.

EP delegation chair Milan Cabrnoch, delivering the MEPs’ preliminary
observations in Yerevan yesterday, said there had been no major
difficulties in procedures on election day, “following a somewhat
quiet, low-key election campaign with no substantive political debate
or real competition. This was due mainly to the decision by three
major parties not to field candidates.”

The parliamentary delegation stressed that Armenianeeds to restore
faith in electoral processes for the future and “deliver on democratic,
economic and social reforms with a view to concluding the EU-Armenia
Association Agreement.”

MEPs also endorsed the preliminary findings of an election observation
mission sent by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human
Rights (OSCE/ODIHR), headed by Ambassador Heidi Tagliavini.

Tagliavini said the elections themselves had been well run and had
respected the fundamental freedoms of assembly and expression, but
a lack of impartiality and the misuse of administrative resources in
campaign had “blurred the distinction between the activities of the
state and those of the ruling party”. (EU Neighbourhood Info)

From: A. Papazian