The Council of Europe organised a conference on 14 February in Yerevan as part of the joint EU/Council of Europe project “Long-term electoral assistance to the election-related stakeholders of Armenia”. The conference followed the recommendations of International Election Observation Missions in Armenia. 65 representatives of governmental institutions, electoral administration, the media, international organisations and civil society organisations in Armenia discussed strategies for an improved follow-up.
Of the 250 recommendations that were made between 2013 and 2016 by International Election Observation Missions, only 30% were implemented.
The impact of the recommendations which were implemented in the new electoral code in Armenia is notable and considered a step forward, but other important recommendations concerning the restriction of observers and the exclusion of organisational costs from campaign financing have not been taken into account.
Participants agreed on the importance of the observation of the whole electoral process as well as the importance of pushing political parties to effectively follow up on the recommendations.
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Civil society organisations were also advised to be more active and formulate proactive amendments and legislative initiatives themselves.