EU officials note progress in Armenian parliamentary elections

PanARMENIAN.Net - Catherine Ashton, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the Commission, jointly with Štefan Füle, Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy, issued the following statement on the May 6 parliamentary elections in Armenia:

“The European Union takes note of the preliminary results of the parliamentary elections held on May 6 and welcomes the statement of preliminary findings and conclusions of the International Election Observation Mission on the conduct of elections.

We welcome the efforts by the Armenian authorities to hold these parliamentary elections in a way which represents progress towards more transparent and competitive elections. However, the elections also demonstrated the need to address a number of issues in order to fully meet internationally recognized democratic standards. We encourage the Armenian authorities to address the shortcomings identified by OSCE/ODIHR as a matter of priority, ahead of the upcoming presidential elections scheduled for 2013.

At the same time we welcome that six political parties will be represented in the National Assembly. This is a positive step towards the development of a pluralistic and democratic political culture in Armenia.

The EU urges all political forces to refrain from unlawful acts and pursue political dialogue. The constructive dialogue between authorities and the opposition is very important for the consolidation of stability in the country.”