CIS observers hail Armenia’s snap elections as ‘free and transparent’
Armenia’s snap parliamentary elections were free and transparent held in accordance with the Constitution and Electoral Code, CIS observers said at a news conference on Monday summing up Sunday’s vote which saw Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s My Step bloc win a landslide victory with over 70 percent of the vote.
“The election commissions ensured all the conditions necessary for free expression of will,” Viktor Guminsky, the head of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) observation mission, told reporters.
He said that the mission members have visited all the 13 electoral districts, as well as 677 polling stations across Armenia.
“The voting passed in a calm atmosphere in compliance with the Armenian Constitution. Technical equipment mostly worked smoothly, despite some minor failures. The CIS observers have noted some violations in their reports which, according to the mission, could not affect the voting results. The vote count was held in accordance with the law,” he said.
Guminsky, who is also the first deputy chairman of the CIS Executive Committee, said the observation mission has already competed its works and issued a final report on the early elections.
The official reminded that the mission included 84 representatives from 8 CIS countries, with 16 of them being long-term observers. He stressed the mission has worked openly, without interfering with the electoral processes and domestic affairs of the country.
Guminsky finds that equal conditions have been ensured for campaigning of all the political forces running for parliament.
The observation mission head said he also cannot underestimate the activities of the Central Electoral Commission (CEC).
“The structure managed to take all the measures necessary for preparation and conduct of elections within this short period of time. The CEC specially focused on prevention of vote buying,” Guminsky said, adding the Armenian elections have been covered by 39 radio and TV stations.