Constitutional Referendum in Armenia: general compliance marred by incidents of serious abuse

Constitutional Referendum in Armenia: general compliance marred by incidents of serious abuse
 
Yerevan, 28 November 2005  - The Council of Europe observers to the Constitutional Referendum held on 27 November 2005 in Armenia regret the decision taken by the authorities which precluded the attendance of any other international observers. The transparency of the referendum was further hampered by the decision of the parliamentary opposition to call on their members to withdraw from the electoral commissions. It is also regrettable that political pluralism inside polling stations was not better assisted by a greater number of domestic observers.
 
The 14-member delegation from the Parliamentary Assembly and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities noted that the Referendum generally reflected the free will of those who voted. However, on voting day the observers witnessed serious abuse in several polling stations which cast a shadow over the credibility of the officially announced turn-out.
 
On 25 and 26 November the delegation had meetings with the authorities, opposition members, NGOs, media representatives and the international community. The observers’ impression was that during the campaign leading to the Referendum there was not equal access to the media. This was to the disadvantage of the opposition to the constitutional changes and hampered genuine democratic debate.
 
The Council of Europe observers visited around 150 polling stations in the capital and across the country on voting day. The general atmosphere was calm and no incidents of public disorder were witnessed. In the majority of the polling stations visited the conduct of the poll was in compliance with international standards.
 
However, in a significant number of polling stations in Yerevan and other regions this was not so. The extremely low voting activity did not correspond to the high figures provided by the electoral commissions. There were also clear instances of forged additional signatures on the voters register and of ballot stuffing.  The electoral regulations, requiring the stamping of the ballot after completion, created numerous situations where the secrecy of the vote was not respected. Military voting appeared to lack the voluntarism which is the hallmark of democratic participation.
 
In conclusion, the delegation considers that the abuses that marred the referendum were against the intent and interest of the Armenian people. It expects that the Central Electoral Commission investigate thoroughly all the allegations brought to its attention and that all the necessary measures will be taken against those responsible for fraud.
The delegation, co-headed by Tomas Jirsa (Czech Republic, EDG, Parliamentary Assembly) and Sean O'Brien (Ireland, SOC, Congress), included:

Parliamentary Assembly
Tomas Jirsa (Czech Republic, EDG)
Lord Tomlinson (United Kingdom, SOC)
Georges Colombier (France, EPP/CD)
Jan Rzymelka (Poland, EPP/CD)
Klaus-Jürgen Hedrich (Germany, EPP/CD)
Gabor Szalay (Hungary, ALDE)
Nigel Evans (United Kingdom, EDG)
 
Congress of Local and Regional Authorities
Sean O’Brien (Ireland, SOC)
Alain Chénard (France, Former President of the Congress)
Luca Ciriani (Italy, ILDG)
Gretta Cousins (United Kingdom, EPP/CD)
Christopher Newburry (United Kingdom, EPP/CD)
Marja Van Der Tas (Netherlands, EPP/CD)
Wim Van Gelder (Netherlands, EPP/CD)
 
Contacts:
- Communication Unit of the Parliamentary Assembly, tel. +33 (0)3 88 41 31 93
- Communication Unit of the Congress, tel. +33 (0)3 88 41 31 05
 
 Press Contact
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Tel. +33 3 88 41 25 60  - Fax. +33 3 88 41 39 11
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