The general absence of electoral malfeasance, including of vote buying and pressure on voters, allowed for genuine competition, the observers said. Despite the shortened timeframe, the elections were well administered, although the integrity of campaign finance was undermined by a lack of regulation, accountability and transparency.
“Democracy cannot proceed without trust, so I am pleased that broad public trust was the central characteristic of this election,” said Peter Osusky, Special Co-ordinator and leader of the short-term OSCE observer mission. “Now that voters have delivered their message, it is up to the political leadership of Armenia to ensure that this momentum is maintained, and that further reforms are implemented to fully consolidate the positive assessment we are making today.”
Contestants were able to campaign freely, and fundamental freedoms of association, assembly, expression and movement were fully respected, the statement says. The official campaign period was very short, but campaigning started earlier, which is not prohibited by law. Election day proceeded calmly and free of pressure on or intimidation of voters, and voting, counting and tabulation were assessed positively by almost all observers.
“I congratulate the Armenian people. The 2018 peaceful so-called ‘Velvet’ revolution, in conjunction with the political will of the current authorities, enabled the holding of democratic elections,” said Aleksander Pociej, Head of the delegation from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. “PACE has observed every election in Armenia since 1995 and, despite the complex electoral system and reported instances of intimidation via social media, the recurring electoral irregularities, which tainted many elections in the past, were absent. It is up to Armenia’s elected representatives to launch legal reforms to consolidate the democratic process in the country.”
The CEC conducted a comprehensive voter education campaign to encourage voting, explain voting procedures and warn against vote-buying. To prevent pressure on public employees and the misuse of state resources, the authorities ran an awareness-raising campaign on these issues for local officials, school principals, health workers and others. Officials, contestants and voters themselves expressed their commitment to discouraging the selling and buying of votes.
“These elections were very well organized, with minimum irregularities and free of pressure on voters. I am very happy that, as a result, public trust in the electoral process was high,” said Heidi Hautala, Head of the delegation from the European Parliament. “We congratulate the Armenian authorities and participants in these elections and encourage the government and the National Assembly to further improve the legislation ahead of future elections. The European Union, including the European Parliament, will continue to assist in this process.”
Amendments to the Election Code in May expanded the list of those prohibited from active campaigning, lifted restrictions on media observers, and increased penalties for electoral offences, including by making it a crime to force individuals to take part in campaigns or to facilitate vote-buying. While this addressed previous recommendations, others related to campaign finance, the submission of complaints, candidacy requirements and the threshold alliances must reach to win seats remain unaddressed, the observers said.
The media environment is diverse and the freedom of expression, guaranteed by the Constitution, was respected. Television is the primary source of political information, while the use of online media and social networks is also significant. Media monitoring showed that the broadcasters made an effort to cover all contestants, contributing to a diversity of information allowing voters to make an informed choice. Many private outlets appear to be strongly associated with political parties, with some demonstrating a clear preference, while public television provided reasonably balanced coverage, the statement says. Public television organized genuine debates that included candidates from all the contestants.
Despite the limited timeframe, the Central Election Commission (CEC) conducted its work professionally...
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