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UPCOMING ELECTIONS WOULD BE CRUCIAL TO ARMENIA'S FUTURE, INTERNATIONAL
WORKING GROUP ON ELECTIONS CONVINCED
YEREVAN, MARCH 10, NOYAN TAPAN. The international working group on
elections was established in 2002 to provide a forum for the exchange
of information and experience among representatives of international
organizations and Embassies in Armenia that have been involved in
election assistance. The group meets regularly and is chaired by the
OSCE Office in Yerevan.
Ambassadors and the heads of intergovernmental organisations involved
in the working group met on March 9 and exchanged information about
Armenia's progress in preparing for Parliamentary and Presidential
elections that will be held in 2007 and 2008.
According to the statement adopted by the working group, provided to
Noyan Tapan by OSCE Yerevan Office Press and Public Relations
Department, the participants took note of the steps that have already
been initiated by the Armenian authorities, including efforts to
update the voters list, the beginning of training for members of
electoral commissions, and preliminary steps to review the existing
electoral code.
The participants noted that the elections scheduled to take place next
year and the year after would take place in new circumstances
following the Constitutional referendum which modified the system of
governance in the country. The participants welcomed these changes as
constituting, on the whole, progress for Armenia and correcting a
number of shortcomings in the constitution as it existed.
At the same time, the shortcomings of previous elections were recalled
and the participants noted that those international observers who were
invited to witness the voting related to the Constitutional referendum
in November concluded that the process was marked by serious abuses. A
number of Armenia's leaders have acknowledged that numerous
shortcomings were evident and that for this reason a shadow had been
cast on the voting process itself.
With these circumstances in mind, the participants agreed that the
upcoming elections would be crucial to Armenia's future. They are of
the view that a government that is, and is perceived by its population
to be, fairly chosen by the people, is not only essential to a just
society, but is also a significant factor in political stability,
national security, and economic development. A fair and open electoral
process is also one of Armenia's international commitments. The
participants welcomed statements by a number of Armenian officials
that the Government of Armenia was taking steps to ensure that the
shortcomings of the past would not be repeated.
Several participants of the meeting have indicated their willingness
to provide appropriate assistance. They noted, in particular, the
importance of assisting with the training of election commission
members, the provision of expertise in connection with possible
revisions of the electoral code, improvements in the voters list, and
the promotion of popular awareness of the procedures that must be
followed in order to produce a free and fair election. The meeting
stressed the importance of the earliest possible engagement of foreign
governments and international organisations in providing requested
assistance, having in mind the complexity of electoral processes and
the time often required to develop and mobilise assistance programs.
The participants expressed the hope that the Government of Armenia
would engage civil society in ensuring that the forthcoming elections
constitute a unifying process between the people and those who govern
them.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
WORKING GROUP ON ELECTIONS CONVINCED
YEREVAN, MARCH 10, NOYAN TAPAN. The international working group on
elections was established in 2002 to provide a forum for the exchange
of information and experience among representatives of international
organizations and Embassies in Armenia that have been involved in
election assistance. The group meets regularly and is chaired by the
OSCE Office in Yerevan.
Ambassadors and the heads of intergovernmental organisations involved
in the working group met on March 9 and exchanged information about
Armenia's progress in preparing for Parliamentary and Presidential
elections that will be held in 2007 and 2008.
According to the statement adopted by the working group, provided to
Noyan Tapan by OSCE Yerevan Office Press and Public Relations
Department, the participants took note of the steps that have already
been initiated by the Armenian authorities, including efforts to
update the voters list, the beginning of training for members of
electoral commissions, and preliminary steps to review the existing
electoral code.
The participants noted that the elections scheduled to take place next
year and the year after would take place in new circumstances
following the Constitutional referendum which modified the system of
governance in the country. The participants welcomed these changes as
constituting, on the whole, progress for Armenia and correcting a
number of shortcomings in the constitution as it existed.
At the same time, the shortcomings of previous elections were recalled
and the participants noted that those international observers who were
invited to witness the voting related to the Constitutional referendum
in November concluded that the process was marked by serious abuses. A
number of Armenia's leaders have acknowledged that numerous
shortcomings were evident and that for this reason a shadow had been
cast on the voting process itself.
With these circumstances in mind, the participants agreed that the
upcoming elections would be crucial to Armenia's future. They are of
the view that a government that is, and is perceived by its population
to be, fairly chosen by the people, is not only essential to a just
society, but is also a significant factor in political stability,
national security, and economic development. A fair and open electoral
process is also one of Armenia's international commitments. The
participants welcomed statements by a number of Armenian officials
that the Government of Armenia was taking steps to ensure that the
shortcomings of the past would not be repeated.
Several participants of the meeting have indicated their willingness
to provide appropriate assistance. They noted, in particular, the
importance of assisting with the training of election commission
members, the provision of expertise in connection with possible
revisions of the electoral code, improvements in the voters list, and
the promotion of popular awareness of the procedures that must be
followed in order to produce a free and fair election. The meeting
stressed the importance of the earliest possible engagement of foreign
governments and international organisations in providing requested
assistance, having in mind the complexity of electoral processes and
the time often required to develop and mobilise assistance programs.
The participants expressed the hope that the Government of Armenia
would engage civil society in ensuring that the forthcoming elections
constitute a unifying process between the people and those who govern
them.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress