The Central Election Commission (CEC) has accredited 6 local organizations to carry out a monitoring mission in the February 18 presidential election. Those organizations are Martuni Women’s Community Council, Capacity and Development for Civil Society, Harmony, Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor Office, Democracy and Electoral Processes and the Armenian Center for Democratic Education-CIVITAS. www.aravot.am found out during a conversation with representatives of those organizations that some problems with organization of the presidential election had already been recorded.
Artur Sakunts, the head of Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor Office, singled out the issue of the election deposit and went into detail: “According to the Constitution, everyone has a right to announce his candidacy. In the conditions – who can announce his candidacy – there is no mention about the size of the election deposit. However, considering the international practice, the size of the election deposit in our country doesn’t correspond to the situation in which our country is. Another problem is that not all candidates have equal resources for representation. Someone has governmental, administrative resources, the others don’t have them. Therefore, there are unequal conditions, to begin with. The situation in the country is unprecedented, since the whole government apparatus is intertwined with the Republican Party.”
Anahit Gevorgyan, the head of Martuni Women’s Community Council, informed that the change of addresses in towns had caused confusion among them. She went into detail: “We are clearing up the voter registration lists. We have a big problem. The addresses in towns have changed, but those addresses haven’t been changed on the voter registration lists yet. For example, 8 Proshyan has become 10 Proshyan, but on the registration list, it is still 8 Proshyan. Therefore, they say that this man doesn’t live at 10 Proshyan; as a result, there is confusion.”
We inquired whether one could notice pressure on voters and observers, inequality between candidates’ capacity for representation for the moment. Ms. Gevorgyan replied: “For the moment, we have a lifeless, static situation. However, during the previous elections, they would photograph, watch, notice those who had gone to the oppositionists’ meetings, they would visit their homes, frighten, asking why they had gone to the rally of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) or the Congress.”
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Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
