OSCE/ODIHR: There are concerns about intolerant and inflammatory  rhetoric

ArmInfo.No concerns were raised so far about the confidence in the Central Election Commission (CEC) and Territorial Election Commissions (TEC), the interim report  of the OSCE / ODIHR long-term observation mission monitoring the  electoral processes in Armenia for the early December 9 parliamentary  elections states. 

According to the source, no concerns were raised about the candidate  registration process. CEC registered candidate lists of nine  political parties and two party alliances.  All contestants met the  25 per cent gender quota. Party interlocutors expressed confidence to  the ODIHR EOM about the possibility to campaign freely, but some  raised concerns about potential abuse of state resources, vote-buying  and pressure on voters, especially in rural areas. Majority of ODIHR  EOM interlocutors voiced concerns about intolerant and inflammatory  rhetoric, particularly online.

The campaign officially starts on 26 November but early campaigning  is not prohibited.  Party interlocutors expressed confidence to the  ODIHR EOM about the possibility to campaign freely, but some raised  concerns about potential abuse of state resources, vote- buying and  pressure on voters, especially in rural areas. Majority of ODIHR EOM  interlocutors voiced concerns about intolerant and inflammatory  rhetoric, particularly online. The mission also stressed that  campaigning by government officials while performing their official  duties is prohibited. According to the report, several political  parties claimed in the media and to the ODIHR EOM that a 19 November  event when the acting Prime Minister visited construction sites and  attended a town celebration in the Gegharkunik region was an abuse of  administrative resources.

The media are diverse but many outlets are perceived as politically  affiliated, including the public television. According to the  experts, the role of online media and social networks is growing  rapidly. Facebook, in particular, has become a significant platform  for political information and debate. The public TV, financed by the  state budget, continues to be perceived as having a pro-government  editorial policy. Some ODIHR EOM interlocutors noted improvements but  characterized the public discourse as not conducive to criticism of  the acting government, particularly the prime minister.