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FOREIGN PARLIAMENTARY EXPERTS: ARMENIA ELECTION "FREE, FAIR AND TRANSPARENT"
PR Newswire
Feb 19 2013
YEREVAN, Armenia, February 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --
Members of a high level team of foreign parliamentary experts invited
by the Armenian Free Society Institute to assess Armenia's adherence
to international election standards today declared the 18 Feb.
presidential election to be "generally free, fair and transparent".
The independent team, headed by UK Member of Parliament Gisela Stuart
and Lord Chris Rennard of the UK House of Lords, and joined by other
parliamentarians and political journalists, spent election day touring
much of the country surrounding Yerevan, visiting over 20 polling
stations and speaking with electoral officers, party representatives
and ordinary voters.
Addressing a press conference in Yerevan today, team member Paul Keetch
, a British Liberal-Democrat MP until he stepped down in 2010, said he
had been an observer in elections from the US to Albania, and had even
been physically ejected by Albanian authorities for his criticisms in
a past vote. "From what I could see, there is no question in my mind
that this election was free, fair and transparent, and incorporated
robust checks and balances designed to make it that way."
Lord Rennard noted that, prior to election day, the group had met with
the representatives of various competing campaigns, asking each what
they feared most in the process. Several of the campaigns listed voter
impersonation and vote buying as particular concerns. "From what we
could see, we could found no widespread basis for complaint," he said.
Mrs. Stuart listed several matters which the team did see. For
instance, there was a portrait of the incumbent president at one rural
polling station visited. It was quickly pulled down. At another poll,
there were questions raised by an opposition party representative
about the address listed for one of the voters. "This is the kind of
irregularity that I have seen in every election I've ever witnessed,"
Mrs. Stuart said.
Several of the team members noted concerns about the ink used to stamp
voters' passports. Prior to the election, there had been concerns
about stamps disappearing, thus allowing multiple voting. The team
took ink samples at every polling station and detected no problems.
But even had there been, they noted that the stamps were just one
part of a three-step process to prevent vote fraud. "You have more
checks in this country than we have in the UK," noted Peter Hayes ,
a long-time British political correspondent and broadcaster.
Several team members said they were particularly reassured to note
a consistency between pre-election opinion polls, exit polling,
and the actual election result. "If one candidate gets a third of
the vote and comes in second, that is a sign of democracy in action
and a competitive political system," Mrs. Stuart said.
The advisory team has been asked by the Free Society Institute to
compile its observations and those of all 12 of the international
observer teams accredited for Monday's election, and to advise on
further improvements that might be adopted for the future.
About the Free Society Institute
The Free Society Institute was established in 2004, and focuses on
encouraging Armenia's ongoing evolution to becoming a fully free,
democratic and civil society. It seeks to raise the awareness and
appreciation of human rights and civil liberties, freedom in general,
and democratic values, with a particular focus on advocacy to youth
groups - tomorrow's adult citizens and voters. The FSI sent observers
to every polling station in last year's parliamentary elections, and
had observers present at all polling stations for the Presidential
election.
SOURCE Free Society Institute
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/foreign-parliamentary-experts-armenia-election-free-fair-and-transparent-191834391.html
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
PR Newswire
Feb 19 2013
YEREVAN, Armenia, February 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --
Members of a high level team of foreign parliamentary experts invited
by the Armenian Free Society Institute to assess Armenia's adherence
to international election standards today declared the 18 Feb.
presidential election to be "generally free, fair and transparent".
The independent team, headed by UK Member of Parliament Gisela Stuart
and Lord Chris Rennard of the UK House of Lords, and joined by other
parliamentarians and political journalists, spent election day touring
much of the country surrounding Yerevan, visiting over 20 polling
stations and speaking with electoral officers, party representatives
and ordinary voters.
Addressing a press conference in Yerevan today, team member Paul Keetch
, a British Liberal-Democrat MP until he stepped down in 2010, said he
had been an observer in elections from the US to Albania, and had even
been physically ejected by Albanian authorities for his criticisms in
a past vote. "From what I could see, there is no question in my mind
that this election was free, fair and transparent, and incorporated
robust checks and balances designed to make it that way."
Lord Rennard noted that, prior to election day, the group had met with
the representatives of various competing campaigns, asking each what
they feared most in the process. Several of the campaigns listed voter
impersonation and vote buying as particular concerns. "From what we
could see, we could found no widespread basis for complaint," he said.
Mrs. Stuart listed several matters which the team did see. For
instance, there was a portrait of the incumbent president at one rural
polling station visited. It was quickly pulled down. At another poll,
there were questions raised by an opposition party representative
about the address listed for one of the voters. "This is the kind of
irregularity that I have seen in every election I've ever witnessed,"
Mrs. Stuart said.
Several of the team members noted concerns about the ink used to stamp
voters' passports. Prior to the election, there had been concerns
about stamps disappearing, thus allowing multiple voting. The team
took ink samples at every polling station and detected no problems.
But even had there been, they noted that the stamps were just one
part of a three-step process to prevent vote fraud. "You have more
checks in this country than we have in the UK," noted Peter Hayes ,
a long-time British political correspondent and broadcaster.
Several team members said they were particularly reassured to note
a consistency between pre-election opinion polls, exit polling,
and the actual election result. "If one candidate gets a third of
the vote and comes in second, that is a sign of democracy in action
and a competitive political system," Mrs. Stuart said.
The advisory team has been asked by the Free Society Institute to
compile its observations and those of all 12 of the international
observer teams accredited for Monday's election, and to advise on
further improvements that might be adopted for the future.
About the Free Society Institute
The Free Society Institute was established in 2004, and focuses on
encouraging Armenia's ongoing evolution to becoming a fully free,
democratic and civil society. It seeks to raise the awareness and
appreciation of human rights and civil liberties, freedom in general,
and democratic values, with a particular focus on advocacy to youth
groups - tomorrow's adult citizens and voters. The FSI sent observers
to every polling station in last year's parliamentary elections, and
had observers present at all polling stations for the Presidential
election.
SOURCE Free Society Institute
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/foreign-parliamentary-experts-armenia-election-free-fair-and-transparent-191834391.html
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress