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POLICY FORUM ARMENIA URGES INTERNATIONAL ELECTION MONITORS TO ENHANCE FRAUD DETECTION IN ARMENIA
http://hetq.am/eng/news/22406/policy-forum-armenia-urges-international-election-monitors-to-enhance-fraud-detection-in-armenia.html
12:46, January 17, 2013
Dear Fellow Stakeholders:
In light of the upcoming February 2013 presidential election in the
Republic of Armenia, we are writing to bring to your urgent attention
the latest report by Policy Forum Armenia (PFA). The findings therein
highlight our concerns about the integrity of the electoral process in
the country-as observed during the May 2012 Parliamentary Election-and
its implications going forward.
The Report, entitled "Armenia's 2012 Parliamentary Election",
demonstrates that election fraud in Armenia has taken subtle and
sophisticated forms that are difficult to detect because it occurs
mostly outside of polling stations. In fact, while acknowledging some
marginal improvements, we believe that the systematic fraud applied by
the authorities (and uncovered in the Report via the use of statistical
techniques) was sufficient to materially alter the election outcome.
In addressing the international observer community, the Report makes
the following recommendations:
~U Election fraud in Armenia has adapted to monitoring pressures
and is now nearly impossible to detect through typical monitoring
approaches. To substantially reduce it, new criteria for assessing
election conduct should be established and more candid assessment
of the political will, or lack thereof, to conduct freer elections
should be made.
~U International observers could benefit from a more comprehensive
briefing about Armenia's political-economic landscape and history of
election fraud.
~U Resources permitting, more observers should be dispatched to areas
outside of Yerevan, where incidents of fraudulent voter counting and
voter list abuse were found to be the highest.
Given the growing sophistication of election fraud in Armenia, the
country's electorate and the Armenian Diaspora will likely rely on
international observers more than before to properly assess election
results in the country.
However, if these new methods of election fraud are allowed to
persist the legitimacy of the election outcome in Armenia will
continue to be questioned despite declared "progress". Moreover,
the credibility of international observers as a force for positive
change may be undermined when assessments fail to point that bribery,
voter intimidation, and voter list fraud are effectively used as
counterweights to free and fair elections.
This situation in Armenia is unlikely to remain sustainable.
Disenfranchised citizens may lose faith in the election process
altogether and seek alternative ways to express their constitutionally
granted right to govern the country, potentially leading to political
instability. Yet, unless remedies are put in place prior to Election
Day, we expect the well-concealed abuses of the electoral system to
continue during the February 2013 presidential election.
To that end, PFA is prepared to assist you and your colleagues in
these specific areas:
~U Identify the worst-offender polling stations based on the 2012
election outcome to help the observer missions zoom in on them;
~U Provide a list of suitable potential observers, who speak and
understand fluent Armenian and English;
~U Conduct voter list audits prior to the upcoming election.
All in all, we hope you will have an opportunity to study PFA's report
and urge you to take concrete steps to enhance your fraud-detection
techniques in time for the February election. We and other concerned
stakeholders worldwide would appreciate being informed of those steps.
We thank you for your consideration of this urgent appeal
and look forward to hearing from you regarding our offer to
assist. Please contact us directly by email at [email protected]
(mailto:[email protected]) or at the mailing address above.
(PFA is an independent professional non-profit organization aimed at
strengthening discourse on Armenia's economic development and national
security and through that helping to shape public policy in Armenia.)
PFA Executive Board Washington/Yerevan/Los Angeles
http://hetq.am/eng/news/22406/policy-forum-armenia-urges-international-election-monitors-to-enhance-fraud-detection-in-armenia.html
12:46, January 17, 2013
Dear Fellow Stakeholders:
In light of the upcoming February 2013 presidential election in the
Republic of Armenia, we are writing to bring to your urgent attention
the latest report by Policy Forum Armenia (PFA). The findings therein
highlight our concerns about the integrity of the electoral process in
the country-as observed during the May 2012 Parliamentary Election-and
its implications going forward.
The Report, entitled "Armenia's 2012 Parliamentary Election",
demonstrates that election fraud in Armenia has taken subtle and
sophisticated forms that are difficult to detect because it occurs
mostly outside of polling stations. In fact, while acknowledging some
marginal improvements, we believe that the systematic fraud applied by
the authorities (and uncovered in the Report via the use of statistical
techniques) was sufficient to materially alter the election outcome.
In addressing the international observer community, the Report makes
the following recommendations:
~U Election fraud in Armenia has adapted to monitoring pressures
and is now nearly impossible to detect through typical monitoring
approaches. To substantially reduce it, new criteria for assessing
election conduct should be established and more candid assessment
of the political will, or lack thereof, to conduct freer elections
should be made.
~U International observers could benefit from a more comprehensive
briefing about Armenia's political-economic landscape and history of
election fraud.
~U Resources permitting, more observers should be dispatched to areas
outside of Yerevan, where incidents of fraudulent voter counting and
voter list abuse were found to be the highest.
Given the growing sophistication of election fraud in Armenia, the
country's electorate and the Armenian Diaspora will likely rely on
international observers more than before to properly assess election
results in the country.
However, if these new methods of election fraud are allowed to
persist the legitimacy of the election outcome in Armenia will
continue to be questioned despite declared "progress". Moreover,
the credibility of international observers as a force for positive
change may be undermined when assessments fail to point that bribery,
voter intimidation, and voter list fraud are effectively used as
counterweights to free and fair elections.
This situation in Armenia is unlikely to remain sustainable.
Disenfranchised citizens may lose faith in the election process
altogether and seek alternative ways to express their constitutionally
granted right to govern the country, potentially leading to political
instability. Yet, unless remedies are put in place prior to Election
Day, we expect the well-concealed abuses of the electoral system to
continue during the February 2013 presidential election.
To that end, PFA is prepared to assist you and your colleagues in
these specific areas:
~U Identify the worst-offender polling stations based on the 2012
election outcome to help the observer missions zoom in on them;
~U Provide a list of suitable potential observers, who speak and
understand fluent Armenian and English;
~U Conduct voter list audits prior to the upcoming election.
All in all, we hope you will have an opportunity to study PFA's report
and urge you to take concrete steps to enhance your fraud-detection
techniques in time for the February election. We and other concerned
stakeholders worldwide would appreciate being informed of those steps.
We thank you for your consideration of this urgent appeal
and look forward to hearing from you regarding our offer to
assist. Please contact us directly by email at [email protected]
(mailto:[email protected]) or at the mailing address above.
(PFA is an independent professional non-profit organization aimed at
strengthening discourse on Armenia's economic development and national
security and through that helping to shape public policy in Armenia.)
PFA Executive Board Washington/Yerevan/Los Angeles