ODIHR experts discuss electoral recommendations in Armenia

A team of election experts from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) met with electoral stakeholders in Armenia from 26 to 29 April 2022 to present the final report of ODIHR’s Election Observation Mission to the 20 June 2021 early parliamentary elections.

The report findings and recommendations were presented to the President of the National Assembly, representatives of the Central Election Commission, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, the Constitutional Court, the Administrative Court, the Public Television and Radio Council, and the National Commission for Television and Radio. The delegation also met with representatives of civil society organizations and the international community.

“ODIHR values the strong cooperation that we have with our Armenian partners,” said Eoghan Murphy, Head of the Election Observation Mission. “This has been a very worthwhile engagement with the government and all of the main stakeholders in the electoral process.”

ODIHR experts reiterated that the elections were competitive and generally well-managed within a short timeframe, although marred by increasingly inflammatory rhetoric among key contestants. The experts drew attention to the final report’s priority recommendations, which included ensuring that any changes to the electoral legal framework should take effect well in advance of elections and that regulations and clarifications on electoral procedures should be comprehensive, adopted in formal sessions of the Central Election Commission and applied uniformly.

The authorities discussed ODIHR’s potential assistance in bringing Armenia’s elections closer in line with international standards and commitments by implementing these recommendations, including through discussions or legal reviews related to potential reforms to the electoral legal framework.

All OSCE participating States have committed to promptly follow up on ODIHR’s electoral assessments and recommendations.