UK urges Armenia to "deal with election violations efficiently"

PanARMENIAN.Net - The British Embassy in Yerevan has issued a statement regarding the April 2 parliamentary elections in Armenia.

"The UK shares the assessment of the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) Election Observation Mission that these elections were well-administered and fundamental rights were generally respected but that they were “tainted by credible information about vote-buying” and pressure on some voters," the statement says.

"The UK welcomed the inclusive process pursued by government, opposition parties and civil society in shaping the new electoral code. Along with other international partners – EU, Germany, US and UN – and the Government of Armenia, the UK supported the introduction of a new voter authentication system. We welcome OSCE/ODIHR’s assessment that this technology reduced the scope for voting irregularities. We note, however, the complaints and allegations relating to the overall electoral process and encourage the relevant authorities to deal with them efficiently and effectively."

"The UK will continue to support all in government, parliament and civil society committed to strengthening democracy, prosperity and stability in Armenia for the benefit of its people," the statement added.

Armenian parliamentary elections had a voter turnout of some 61%. Based on results calculated in all the 2009 polling stations, the Republican party leads with 49.12% of votes (771 247 ballots), followed by the Tsarukyan bloc with 27.32% (428 965), YELQ with 7.77% (122 049) and the ARF Dashnaktsutyun with 6.57% (103 173).