5 international and 12 local organizations, as well as representatives of foreign embassies accredited in Armenia are registered in the Central Election Commission (CEC) to carry out a monitoring mission in the presidential election on February 18. Among the local organizations is Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor Office (81 observers), the Democratic and Electoral Processes NGO (36 observers), the Armenian Center for Democratic Education-CIVITAS (77 observers), the Center for Electoral Systems (60 observers), the Dilnet Service (71 observers), the Choice Is Yours (1066 observers), the Martuni Women’s Community Council (285), the Capacity and Development for Civil Society (65), and the Harmony (470 observers) NGOs, the Unison NGO for Support of People With Special Needs (15), the Civil Society Institute (67) and the Helsinki Committee of Armenia (103) NGOs.
The organizations carrying out a monitoring mission presented during a conversation with www.aravot.am what violations had been committed in the presidential race so far.
Anahit Gevorgyan, the head of the Martuni Women’s Community Council NGO, stated: “The passport commission asked to inform about mistakes as the campaign proceeds so that they are corrected quickly. There are cases of people who have returned from the army, but
haven’t been registered yet, or they have left for the army and haven’t been removed from the registration list. As for the addresses that have changed, but changes haven’t been made in the voter registration lists, the person himself must have that issue solved. Now the town hall calls on everyone to go to the passport office and deal with that issue.” In response to our question whether they followed the people who went to opposition candidates’ meetings, as last year, Ms. Gevorgyan said: “No one has paid attention to Martuni yet, and no candidate has come to our town to meet with the voters.”
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According to our interlocutor, it is generally passive in Martuni; they mainly get information from, as they put it, Republican TV channels and YouTube. Ms. Gevorgyan told an anecdote that she had visited her relatives and she had been told: “Have you come to tell us whom we should vote for?”
The Choice Is Yours NGO has recorded a series of violations. Harutyun Hambardzumyan, the head of the NGO, stated that in some communities, there had been deaths at the end of last year about which the competent body hadn’t been informed; therefore, their names hadn’t been removed from the voter registration lists. Mr. Hambardzumyan added: “At no. 33/49 polling station, village of Hatsik, region of Shirak, two residents who have been dead for 5 years – Vladimir Karapetyan and Sargis Hakobyan – their names haven’t been removed from the voter registration lists yet. There are some cases of people who have been demobilized, but their names haven’t been included in the voter registration lists. In the town of Maralik, region of Shirak, according to the mayor’s decision, the building of the local Art School was allotted for no. 36/37 polling station, but the voter registration lists were hung in No. 1 School, explaining that the building was heated. According to another decision of the mayor, the former decision has been changed and No. 1 School has been allotted for the polling station, but the CEC has found that decision unacceptable. The voter registration lists have been hung in the Art School, which is considered the polling station. However, a question arises why they didn’t decide in advance to turn the more comfortable building into a polling station, since the voters may be confused now.”
Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
