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PFA: ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES PUT NEW FACE ON ELECTION FRAUD
http://www.armenianweekly.com/2012/12/20/pfa-armenian-authorities-put-new-face-on-election-fraud/
December 20, 2012
Earlier this year, under mounting pressure by the international
community and civil society, the government of the Republic of Armenia
took measures to reduce fraud and manipulation going into the 2012
parliamentary election. However, according to a special report released
this week by Policy Forum Armenia (PFA), a U.S.-based international
think tank and advocacy organization, true election reform in Armenia
has, once again, been hijacked, only this time by even more inventive
and well-concealed methods of falsification.
The report, "The Armenian Parliamentary Election of 2012," provides
an in-depth analysis of the political-economic and legislative
developments leading up to the 2012 election. It also summarizes
the reactions of key stakeholders-the opposition parties, foreign
observers, and local civil society groups-to the election outcome.
What particularly sets the report apart from other analyses, however,
is the range of statistical tests, conducted by professional analysts
that support stakeholder reactions. These tests not only yielded
ample evidence of persistent and strategic election fraud, but also
pinpointed the beneficiary of such corrupt practices, namely the
ruling party.
Commenting on the report's findings, Adam Hug, the policy director
at the London-based Foreign Policy Centre, said, "This important and
detailed report shows that Armenia still has a long way to go to before
its elections can be called free and fair. In particular, the results
of the statistical analyses would seem to indicate that the election
authorities successfully managed to adapt to the changes in laws and
outside pressures (via illegal use of identities of Armenian citizens
who have emigrated and violations in vote counting), which is deeply
concerning. Armenia will have to improve its election processes if
future results are to command the confidence of the international
community and most importantly the Armenian public."
PFA senior fellow, Armine Ishkanian of the London School of Economics,
went on to say, "The growing sophistication of fraud techniques and
mechanisms, which are artfully concealed, make it difficult for
outside observers to cite and document specific instances. It is
electoral fraud 2.0. The authors of this report have had to bring to
bear all the tools of research and analysis available to shed light
on these techniques and provide stakeholders with statistical back-up
that election fraud is alive and well in Armenia. The question is,
what are the prospects for the forthcoming presidential elections
early next year?"
Edgar Martirosyan, a PFA executive board member and a Los Angeles-based
attorney, pointed out that achieving free and fair elections is not
an end in itself. "Better elections are likely to result in better
governance and stronger social cohesion," he asserted. "And it is
an internationally accepted conclusion that good governance is the
primary driver of economic development and progress in developing
countries like Armenia."
For more information, visit www.pf-armenia.org/reports.
http://www.armenianweekly.com/2012/12/20/pfa-armenian-authorities-put-new-face-on-election-fraud/
December 20, 2012
Earlier this year, under mounting pressure by the international
community and civil society, the government of the Republic of Armenia
took measures to reduce fraud and manipulation going into the 2012
parliamentary election. However, according to a special report released
this week by Policy Forum Armenia (PFA), a U.S.-based international
think tank and advocacy organization, true election reform in Armenia
has, once again, been hijacked, only this time by even more inventive
and well-concealed methods of falsification.
The report, "The Armenian Parliamentary Election of 2012," provides
an in-depth analysis of the political-economic and legislative
developments leading up to the 2012 election. It also summarizes
the reactions of key stakeholders-the opposition parties, foreign
observers, and local civil society groups-to the election outcome.
What particularly sets the report apart from other analyses, however,
is the range of statistical tests, conducted by professional analysts
that support stakeholder reactions. These tests not only yielded
ample evidence of persistent and strategic election fraud, but also
pinpointed the beneficiary of such corrupt practices, namely the
ruling party.
Commenting on the report's findings, Adam Hug, the policy director
at the London-based Foreign Policy Centre, said, "This important and
detailed report shows that Armenia still has a long way to go to before
its elections can be called free and fair. In particular, the results
of the statistical analyses would seem to indicate that the election
authorities successfully managed to adapt to the changes in laws and
outside pressures (via illegal use of identities of Armenian citizens
who have emigrated and violations in vote counting), which is deeply
concerning. Armenia will have to improve its election processes if
future results are to command the confidence of the international
community and most importantly the Armenian public."
PFA senior fellow, Armine Ishkanian of the London School of Economics,
went on to say, "The growing sophistication of fraud techniques and
mechanisms, which are artfully concealed, make it difficult for
outside observers to cite and document specific instances. It is
electoral fraud 2.0. The authors of this report have had to bring to
bear all the tools of research and analysis available to shed light
on these techniques and provide stakeholders with statistical back-up
that election fraud is alive and well in Armenia. The question is,
what are the prospects for the forthcoming presidential elections
early next year?"
Edgar Martirosyan, a PFA executive board member and a Los Angeles-based
attorney, pointed out that achieving free and fair elections is not
an end in itself. "Better elections are likely to result in better
governance and stronger social cohesion," he asserted. "And it is
an internationally accepted conclusion that good governance is the
primary driver of economic development and progress in developing
countries like Armenia."
For more information, visit www.pf-armenia.org/reports.