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.