ODIHR opens election observation mission in Armenia

The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today opened an observation mission for the 7 June parliamentary elections in Armenia, following an invitation from the national authorities and based on the findings of a pre-election needs assessment mission.

The mission is led by Janez Lenarčič and consists of a core team of 13 experts based in Yerevan. Thirty long-term observers will be deployed throughout the country from 1 May, and ODIHR will also request 250 short-term observers, to arrive several days before election day, the OSCE/ODIHR said in a press release. 

The core team experts and long-term observers come from 28 different OSCE participating States.

“This observation mission will assess all stages of the electoral process against OSCE commitments and other international obligations and standards for democratic elections,” said Lenarčič. “We will examine not only election day, but also the broader environment in which these elections are taking place.”

The mission will closely monitor all key aspects of the elections, such as the campaign, including on social networks, campaign finance, the work of the election administration at national, regional and local levels, the legal framework, institutional arrangements put in place by the authorities to detect disinformation, media coverage, and election dispute resolution. Observers will also assess the implementation of previous ODIHR election recommendations.

“Our observation will include meetings with a wide range of those involved in and affected by the electoral process, from representatives of the national authorities and political parties to civil society, the media and the international community, not only in the capital but throughout the entire country,” Lenarčič said. “This approach allows us to gain a comprehensive and balanced understanding of the electoral process across Armenia.”

For election day itself, delegations from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the European Parliament will join efforts with the ODIHR mission. An interim report will be published by ODIHR some two weeks prior to election day to update the public and the media on the observation mission’s activities. The day after the elections, the mission’s initial findings and conclusions will be presented at a joint press conference.

A final report, with a comprehensive assessment and containing recommendations to help improve the process for the future, will be published in the months following the elections. ODIHR has observed 12 elections in Armenia, most recently the 2021 early parliamentary elections.