COUNCIL OF EUROPE CONGRESS MISSION ASSESSES PRE-ELECTORAL SITUATION IN ARMENIA

In view of the first municipal elections in the Armenian capital city of Yerevan, on 31 May 2009, a pre-electoral mission of the Council of Europe Congress of Local and Regional Authorities was carried out from 3 to 6 May. The three-member delegation - Congress Vice-President Fabio Pellegrini (Italy, SOC), Michel Gugan (France, NR) and Nigel Mermagen (UK, ILDG) - met with government and city officials, candidates from most of the political factions, as well as with NGO representatives and the media. In addition, the delegation met a group of Ambassadors of European and non-European countries. The people that the delegation spoke to underlined the particular importance of these elections for local democracy in Armenia and the political situation in the country as a whole. The Congress delegation understood that there were threats to the proper conduct of these elections, in particular with respect to the registration and mobilization of voters, the counting of votes, and media objectivity in the campaign. The delegation had the overall impression that the institutional and political role of the Mayor is in danger of being sidelined by a harsh confrontation between the political factions which are in power and the opposition. We are concerned that the real needs of the citizens of Yerevan could be brushed aside because of this confrontation, said Fabio Pellegrini at the end of the mission. The Congress is aware of the importance and the specific character of these elections. As the only institutional observers of these elections, we will take these aspects into account during our observation mission, which will be carried out at the end of May, stressed Nigel Mermagen. Despite the concerns which were raised during our mission, we are confident that the Armenian authorities will do their utmost to conduct these elections in a decent way in line with European standards, concluded Michel Gugan. The Congress will be the only international organization to observe the elections on 31 May.

<< | Home |

Translate

RSS © Panorama

Headlines for May 06, 2009

WOMAN SUFFERING SWINE FLU DIES IN U.S.
A woman suffering A flu (swine flu H1N1) died in Cameron region, Texas, USA. Russian media reports that was the second A flu death in the U.S. According to the source a 23 months old child whose parents ...
FOREIGN MINISTER LEAVES FOR PRAGUE AFTER WASHINGTON MEETINGS
The Foreign Minister of Armenia leaves for Prague from Washington to attend the European Union Summit. The President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan is also leaving for Prague where he will have his fourth ...
MINISTER NALBANDYAN INVITED MRS. CLINTON TO ARMENIA
The Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandyan who has been paying working visit to the United States on 5 May had a meeting with the U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, press and information department ...
BRITISH JETHRO TULL PERFORMANCE IN YEREVAN
British famous Jethro Tull rock group is invited to Armenia to give a concert in sport concert complex named after K. Demirchyan on 22 May, Vibrogrphus producer company says. According to the source the ...
AMERICAN OFFICIALS SAY CLINTON-NALBANDYAN MEETING TO BE CONSTRUCTIVE
The U.S. Secretary of State press spokesman Robert Wood evaluated the meeting of the Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan very good and constructive, Wood ...
HASMIK HARUTYUNYAN GIVES LULLABY CONCERT AT “GIVING VOICE” FESTIVAL
On April 19, 2009, the St. Anthony Cathedral of Wroclaw, an acoustically perfect structure from the late Middle Ages, was the setting for the first-ever concert of traditional Armenian lullabies. Small ...
ARMENIA DECLINES PARTICIPATION TO NATO TRAININGS BECAUSE GEORGIAN DEVELOPMENTS
The Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia says Armenia does not participate in NATO military trainings organized in Georgia because of on going Georgian developments. The situation there is tough. And that ...
TURKISH MINISTER SAYS ENERGY COULD HAVE SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN ARMENIAN, TURKISH AND AZERBAIJANI RELATIONS
The normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations will not hamper the implementation of energetic projects with Azerbaijan including Nabucco project, the new appointed Turkish Minister of Energy said. The ...
CHARLES AZNAVOUR AMBASSADOR OF ARMENIA TO SWITZERLAND
The President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan signed on 4 May a special decree appointing Charles Aznavour permanent representative of the Republic of Armenia to UN office in Geneva and other international ...
ONLINE DIRECTORY LAUNCHED AT THE NKR MFA LIBRARY
An online directory providing a digest of the available literature is launched at the NKR MFA library, the NKR MFA Press Service of reports. The directory is divided into sections and sub-sections, in ...
COUNCIL OF EUROPE CONGRESS MISSION ASSESSES PRE-ELECTORAL SITUATION IN ARMENIA
In view of the first municipal elections in the Armenian capital city of Yerevan, on 31 May 2009, a pre-electoral mission of the Council of Europe Congress of Local and Regional Authorities was carried ...