CIS IPA short-term observers to begin monitoring Armenian parliamentary elections on 19 June

BelTA, Belarus

MINSK, 16 June (BelTA) – Short-term observers from the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly will begin monitoring the snap elections to the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia on 19 June, BelTA learned the CIS IPA press service.

The observers will take part in a ceremony to lay wreaths and flowers to the Mother Armenia monument. On the same day, they are scheduled to hold talks with the leadership of the parliament, representatives of the political parties and electoral blocs that have nominated their candidates in the upcoming elections. Talks are scheduled with the leaders of the parties “Prosperous Armenia”, “Civil Contract” and “Enlightened Armenia”.

On 19 June, the observers are scheduled to meet with Chairman of the Armenian Central Electoral Commission Tigran Mukuchyan to exchange views on the current election campaign. In the afternoon, meetings with representatives of the parties will continue: the monitoring group will visit the "Armenia" bloc headquarters and then hold meetings with representatives of the headquarters of the "I Have Honor” bloc and "Armenia – Our Home” party.

On 20 June, the observers will attend the opening of polling stations in Yerevan, then will continue monitoring voting in various cities and regions of the country. Then they will meet with observers from the OSCE/ODIHR mission to exchange impressions about the long-term and short-term monitoring in the Republic of Armenia.

On 21 June, the observers will take part in the outcome press conference of the CIS observation mission where they will sum up the results of the monitoring.

A team of international observers of the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly is taking part in the observation of the snap parliamentary elections in Armenia at the invitation of President of the National Assembly of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan. The team includes MPs and officials of the supreme legislative bodies from seven states – members of the CIS IPA: Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and officials of the CIS IPA Council Secretariat and experts of the CIS IPA International Institute for Monitoring Democracy Development, Parliamentarianism and Suffrage Protection of Citizens. Igor Komarovsky, Chairman of the Standing Commission on Industry, Fuel and Energy Complex, Transport and Communications of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus, has been appointed coordinator of the CIS IPA observation group.