ICG: "Serious Violations during Constitution Referendum in Armenia"

PanARMENIAN.Net - "There were serious violations during the referendum," Sabine Freizer, International Crisis Group (ICG) Project Director on the South Caucasus, stated when commenting on the referendum on the Constitution held in Armenia. In particular it seems highly unlikely that the 65% turnout being claimed by the government is correct, she said. "In three separate Yerevan polling stations ICG observers witnessed in a 45-minute time slot no more than 10 people voting. Armenia urgently needs to improve its election system - before the 2007 parliamentary and 2008 presidential contests," she remarked. Answering a question on the impact of the parliamentary election in Azerbaijan and the referendum on Constitution in Armenia on the Karabakh peace talks, Sabine Freizer said, "there were violations during the Azerbaijani elections and the Armenian referendum. Most importantly both events showed that the local population is largely apathetic to political developments and may be losing some of its faith in European style democracy.



However if a peace process is going to be successfully implemented to solve the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, the full and active engagement of all Azerbaijanis and Armenians will be needed. No peace can be implemented that goes against the people's will. That is why it is so important for decision makers in Azerbaijan and in Armenia to start explaining to their citizens' what is occurring in the negotiations, what a peace might look like, and how it might be implemented," reported Trend agency.