Report of the EP Election Observation Delegation to Armenia

Dear colleagues,

I had the honour to Chair the EP Election Observation Delegation that observed the Presidential elections inArmenialast 18 February.

The European Parliament Election Observation Delegation was also composed of Mr. Joachim ZELLER, Ms Elena BĂSESCU, Ms Eva JOLY and Mr. Ryszard CZARNECKI. I would like to thank them for their excellent cooperation during this delegation.

My report today will focus on two issues: The Presidential Election inArmenia, and the international cooperation in the framework of the International Election Observation Missions.

-         Concerning past presidential elections inArmenia, I have to recall that these elections were seen as a test for the democratic credentials of the country. The European Parliament has clearly said in its resolution of April 2012 on the negotiations of the EU-Armenia Association Agreement, that the Parliament considers free and fair elections, more transparent elections, elections in line with International and European standards, of the utmost importance for the development of EU-Armenia relations.

-         My second point to highlight today, concerns the co-operation in the framework of the International Election Observation Mission. These International Missions are the assurance that the international community will speak with one voice in the context of election observation.  Usually, the Parliamentary Assemblies of the Council of Europe and of the OSCE are also part of this International Mission. InArmenia, the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE decided not to participate in the IEOM, thus confirming, and putting into practice, the decision of the OSCE/PA Bureau at its meeting inDublinin December 2012, to consider the Co-operation Agreement with OSCE/ODIHR no longer valid.

I will comeback to this later. I would now focus on the Armenian Presidential Election.

What are then the conclusions and the possibilities for follow-up of this Election?

InArmenia, the preliminary conclusions of the international election observationMissiondescribed a well administered election, characterized by respect for fundamental freedoms. Contestants were able to campaign without impediment. Public television and radio complied with their legal obligation to provide free airtime and balanced coverage of all candidates.

However, during the electoral campaign, the misuse of administrative resources distorted the distinction between the state and the ruling party which is at odds with the OSCE Copenhagen Document, one of the main International Standards for elections.

I regret the absence of real competition, mainly due to the decision of three of the main parties do not compete in the election.

After the publication of the official results indicating that incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan was re-elected in the first round, the OSCE/ODIHR long-term Election Observation Mission issued a post election interim report, raising concerning about the close correlation, in a significant number of polling stations,  between the voter turnout and the number of votes for the incumbent.

The Presidential candidate Raffi Hovannisyan has contested the results of the election and appealed to theConstitutional Court. On 14 March 2013, the Court rejected this appeal and thus approved the validity of the elections.

In my speech at the Press Conference of the International Election Observation Mission, I emphasized the importance that the European Parliament attaches to the follow up of the recommendations of the International Election Observation missions. I welcomed the good will that the authorities have showed in this regard after the last parliamentary elections, hoping to see same efforts in implementing the recommendations that the ODIHR will issue after the presidential elections, through an even more inclusive process that would involve all the relevant stakeholders in the society.

I urge the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Delegation to the EU-Armenia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee to follow-up closely the conclusions and recommendations of the Election Observation Mission report and the answer given by Armenian Authorities. As I said in my speech after the Election Day, it is key that Armenian authorities deliver on important results, as regards to promoting democratic, economic and social reforms, essential for the conclusion of the EU-Armenia Association Agreement, and also for restoring faith in the future electoral processes.

I would finish by sharing with you my deep concern about the position of the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE which I find unfortunate and damageable on various levels:

• The position of the Bureau of the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE harms the capacity of the  international community to speak with one voice;
• The tension between Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE and ODIHR must be viewed in the context of the long-standing efforts by a few OSCE participating States (Russia,Kazakhstan,Belarus,Armenia,Kyrgyzstan,TajikistanandUzbekistan) to weaken ODIHR, particularly its election observation capacity. The European Parliament has appealed several times to OSCE to reaffirm and preserve the independence of the OSCE/ODIHR and to further strengthen its role and capacity as the leading OSCE institution responsible for election observation; 
• Finally, the position of the Bureau of the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE jeopardises multilateral cooperation at European level, a cause which the European Parliament has always defended, on issues of the importance of democracy and rule of law.

The Democracy Support and Election Coordination Group, co-chaired by Elmar Brok, is holding at its meeting on 26 March an in-depth exchange of views on EP election observation in the OSCE area, to be led by VP Edward McMillan-Scott. I hope that the AFET and the DEG will be able to identify ways to address this unfortunate situation.

I thank you for your attention.  

Milan Cabrnoch