ODIHR experts discuss electoral recommendations in Yerevan

Elections experts from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) presented their final report in Yerevan on the early parliamentary elections in Armenia that took place on 9 December 2018.

The findings and recommendations were presented during a series of meetings with representatives of state institutions, including the Parliamentary Committee on State and Legal Affairs, the Central Election Commission, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Justice and the Commission on Television and Radio. Separate meetings were held with representatives of parliamentary and non-parliamentary political parties, the media, civil society and international organizations.

ODIHR noted that the elections were held with respect for fundamental freedoms and enjoyed broad public trust. However, the experts drew attention to the need to strengthen trust in the integrity of the electoral process, remove gaps and ambiguities from electoral legislation, protect voters’ private data, increase the political participation of women, improve accountability and reporting on campaign finance, and support the editorial independence of the media.

“The will of the main electoral stakeholders to preserve the progress in having democratic elections is commendable and paves the way for an effective follow-up to ODIHR’s electoral recommendations,” said Alexander Shlyk, Head of the ODIHR Elections Department. “Upcoming electoral reform should be based on broad consultation and take place well in advance of the next elections, and ODIHR is ready to support such efforts.”

The potential for ODIHR engagement in providing legal and technical expertise to assist the electoral reforms was discussed in separate meetings with representatives of the parliamentary structures, the Ministry of Justice and the Central Election Commission.

All OSCE participating States have committed themselves to promptly following up on ODIHR electoral assessments and recommendations.