European observers: Armenia election mostly in line with international standards

PanARMENIAN.Net - The February 19 presidential election in Armenia was conducted mostly in line with the country's international commitments, although further improvements are necessary to address remaining challenges, the International Election Observation Mission said in a statement published today.



"The Armenian authorities made genuine efforts to address shortcomings noted in previous elections. But there is a need for further improvements and political will to tackle concerns such as the lack of public confidence in the electoral process and the absence of a clear separation between State and party functions. The conduct of the count did not contribute to reduce suspicions among stakeholders."



"In an active and competitive election, Armenians turned out in strength to choose between genuine political alternatives. The problems we observed, particularly during the counting, must be addressed to increase overall confidence in the electoral process," said Anne-Marie Lizin, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Vice President and Special Coordinator of the OSCE short-term observers.

The full text of the statement issued by the International Election Observation Mission