Armenian authorities seek control of observers at elections,  opposition states 

ArmInfo.  An extraordinary session of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia has begun in Armenia, with only one item on its agenda: amendments to the Electoral Code. The amendments were sponsored by MPs from the ruling Civil Contract faction, Arusyak Dzhulakyan, Vladimir Vardanyan, and Lilit Minasyan. The document is planned to be considered in two readings.

Introducing the legislative initiative, Arusyak Dzhulakyan noted that  the amendments are aimed at regulating issues related to election  observation missions. Election observation missions, Dzhulakyan  noted, participate in the electoral process as public oversight  bodies, whose main task is to provide an independent, objective, and  impartial assessment of the electoral process in order to help ensure  the legitimacy and credibility of elections. This goal can only be  achieved if missions and observers act politically neutrally and  impartially. This mission can only be fulfilled if observers maintain  political neutrality and refrain from any actions or statements that  could be perceived as supporting or opposing any political force,  candidate, or political position. The political neutrality of  observers is fundamental to ensuring the credibility, transparency,  and legitimacy of elections. According to the OSCE/ODIHR guidelines,  observation missions are obligated to act independently and  impartially, refrain from making political judgments during the  electoral process, and not interfere in the organization of elections  or political competition.

However, as Dzhulakyan noted, the legal regulation of the electoral  process in the Republic of Armenia is not fully settled. This process  is based on the principles of free, fair, transparent, and  competitive elections.  Observer missions participate in it as  independent and non-political entities, whose goal is to exercise  public oversight of the electoral process. According to Article 30 of  the Electoral Code of the Republic of Armenia, the right to conduct  an observation mission is granted to those organizations in the  Republic of Armenia that, among other things, do not support  candidates or parties participating in the elections. Part 2 of  Article 32 of the Electoral Code of the Republic of Armenia  stipulates that, when exercising their rights, observers are  obligated to be impartial, neutral, not publicly express a biased  position, and not display a biased attitude toward any issue related  to the government or the opposition, candidates or parties  participating in the elections. The obligation of political  neutrality directly follows from this legal status of the observer.  Article 23 of the Electoral Code of the Republic of Armenia prohibits  organizations and observers accredited to conduct observation  missions from engaging in election campaigning. Public expression of  a political position by an observer may be considered covert or  indirect propaganda, contrary to electoral law. An analysis of  international standards and the aforementioned provisions of Armenian  legislation clearly demonstrates that the political neutrality of  observation missions is a legal obligation, political bias is  incompatible with observer status, and violation of neutrality may be  considered indirect interference in the electoral process.

However, the legislation of the Republic of Armenia does not  establish sufficient mechanisms to ensure the fulfillment of the  obligation of political neutrality and impartiality by observation  missions. The presented draft aims to ensure compliance with this  requirement of legislation and international standards.   Specifically, it clarifies the criteria that a non-governmental  organization registered in the Republic of Armenia must meet in order  to conduct an observation mission during elections held in the  Republic of Armenia. The draft also emphasizes the need for  transparency in the activities of non-governmental organizations and  foundations conducting observation missions, including financial  transparency, based on the premise that organizations striving to  ensure election transparency must also be transparent and accountable  to the public. The draft also clarifies the procedure for submitting  an application for accreditation to the Central Electoral Commission.

The document differentiates the statutory accreditation periods for  observers who are citizens of the Republic of Armenia and for  observers who are not citizens of the Republic of Armenia and who are  accredited by non-governmental organizations registered in the  Republic of Armenia. Specifically, it stipulates that applications  for accreditation by observers who are not citizens of the Republic  of Armenia may be submitted no later than 15 days before election  day. This provision is necessary for national security reasons. The  draft also clarifies the grounds for rejecting an application for  accreditation of an observation mission, as well as for revoking an  observation mission's accreditation.

Vahagn Aleksanyan, a member of parliament from the ruling Civil  Contract faction, noted that political passivity has been observed on  the part of the parliamentary opposition, which can be interpreted as  the latter's acceptance of the low probability of its entry into the  new parliament. "The developments show that you have been advised to  leave politics, since your statements are lowering the opposition's  ratings, and another party, led by a Russian oligarch, will now take  over politics in your place. If this is true, then say so; if not,  also say so," the ruling party member stated.

In response, Artsvik Minasyan, secretary of the opposition Armenia  faction, noted that Aleksanyan's speech indicates panic within the  ruling political force. "It is more than obvious to everyone that the  ruling majority is guided by these orders and decrees, and is guided  by the orders of one person who is striving for dictatorship. The  draft presented today is clear evidence of this," Minasyan said. He  added that the opposition had proposed in-depth discussions on the  Electoral Code, but the pro-government forces refused, intending to  adopt this crucial document in just one hour. "We consider such  behavior unacceptable. The proposed bill is aimed at the authorities'  attempt to completely take control of the electoral process and  legitimize the falsification of the upcoming elections. We reject all  of this, draw the attention of international organizations to this  issue, and declare that we will not participate in discussions on the  proposed document, which is yet another manifestation of the Armenian  authorities' anti-state and anti-people policies," the opposition  leader noted.