Lack of ethics in Yerevan municipal elections
The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe will hold its 17th Plenary Session in Strasbourg from 13 to 15 October 2009.
In preparation for the UN Conference in Copenhagen in December, the Congress will hold a debate on the important contribution of local and regional policy makers to the global challenge of climate change. In the framework of this year's European Local Democracy Week (ELDW) events will focus on ways to increase citizens' participation in territorial processes, particularly, a stronger mobilisation of young people.
Also, there will be a vote on the report of the first ever election of the Mayor of Yerevan (Armenia) and a debate on the situation of local authorities in South-East Anatolia (Turkey).
Note that, following the official invitation from the Armenian authorities to observe the first election of the Mayor of Yerevan on Sunday 31 May 2009, the Congress appointed an observer delegation, headed by Nigel Mermagen, Councillor in South Somerset District Council and Rapporteur to the Congress. The delegation was composed of nine members of the Congress and four members of the European Union's Committee of the Regions, assisted by the Congress Secretariat.
"The organisational framework of the Yerevan's municipal elections of May 31 had been broadly in compliance with European standards. However, democracy does not only depend on a proper organisational framework but on highly-developed electoral conduct and democratic culture," reads the Congress's report.
"Also, the observer delegation regretted those malpractices which tempered the normal conduct of the vote. It found that the political actors in Armenia should strive for a higher standard of ethics, attitudes and behaviour and that citizens should be better aware of democratic rights and duties».
Remind that the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe was the only international observer which monitored the municipal elections on 31 May in Yerevan. From 3 to 6 May a three-member pre-election mission was carried out. The actual observation mission was organised from 27 May to 1 June. It included nine Congress members and three members of the European Union Committee of Regions from United Kingdom, San Marino, Poland, Italy, Hungary, France, Estonia and Belgium.
However, in a press conference following the election day, the delegation welcomed the fact that by these elections, Armenia proceeded on its way to implement local democracy. The overall organisation of the elections has been broadly carried out in compliance with European standards. In this respect, the election observation mission of the Congress noted a considerable step forward in comparison to the local elections which took place in Yerevan in September 2008.
