The international observer mission states that the snap parliamentary elections in Armenia were competitive and generally well-managed within a short timeframe, the representatives of OSCE ODIHR, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and PACE joint observer mission said at a press conference today in Yerevan.
“Our general conclusion is that the parliamentary elections of June 20th were competitive and generally well-managed within a short timeframe,” head of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s delegation Kari Henriksen said.
According to the international observer mission, national security issues dominated the political discourse, overshadowing debate on other policy issues, and harsh rhetoric exacerbated an already polarized political environment. Election day was generally peaceful. IEOM observers assessed the opening and voting processes positively in the overwhelming majority of polling stations observed. However, IEOM observers reported that the majority of polling stations were not accessible for persons with physical disabilities.
“The vote count was assessed positively in most polling stations where it was observed and was characterized by a high level of transparency”, head of the PACE delegation George Katrougalos said, expressing hope that the results will be accepted by all political forces participating in the elections.
“Voters were provided with a broad range of options, and fundamental rights and freedoms were generally respected, with contestants being able to campaign freely”, OSCE ODIHR mission head Eoghan Murphy stated.
In total, 353 observers from 37 countries were represented in the OSCE and PACE missions, including 249 experts deployed by the ODIHR, long-term and short-term observers, 80 parliamentarians, staff members of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, as well as 24 persons from PACE.
