ArmInfo. The current executive power of Armenia with existing legal norms cannot conduct free, competitive and transparent elections in accordance with democratic standards. This opinion was expressed by a number of Armenian public organizations in their statement, taking into account the experience of monitoring several elections in the country.
The organizations, in particular, believe that the Central Electoral Commission of Armenia, the Police, the Special Investigative Service, and the judicial system in the past often concealed violations during the elections. "And we have no reason to believe that this experience will be terminated," the statement said.
Moreover, according to the statement, the incumbent authorities abused the administrative resource during all previous elections. "In order to ensure free, competitive and transparent elections in accordance with democratic standards, there is a need for legal regulation of processes and ensuring equal competition, independent courts and other authorities can do this, and if these conditions are not met, it is difficult to imagine that these elections will differ from the parliamentary elections of 2017, "the statement said.
The statement was signed by the Vanadzor office of the Helsinki Civil Assembly, the Association of Informed Citizens, the Transparency International Anti-Corruption Center, the Asparez Journalists' Center, and the Helsinki Committee of Armenia.