OSCE/ODIHR rep.: We do not compare elections
Members of the election observation mission of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), who arrived in Armenia on January 10, have already met with the Chairman of the Central Election Commission, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Foreign Minister.
"The meeting was very productive. The Armenian officials promised to cooperate with us during the upcoming election. However, these are only initial meetings," Head of the OSCE/ODIHR mission in Armenia, Ambassador Heidi Tagliavini, told a news conference in Yerevan.
The mission is led by Ambassador Heidi Tagliavini and consists of 13 international experts based in Yerevan and 24 long-term observers to be deployed throughout the country. In addition, ODIHR will request 250 short-term observers to monitor election-day proceedings and the counting process.
"We do not seek to be critical of anyone. Our role is [within the scope of our mandate] to observe the election, give assessment and recommendations on the electoral process. We are more interested in the process rather than in the results," she said.
Short-term observers arriving for election day will be deployed in teams of two throughout the country to monitor the opening of polling stations, voting, the counting of ballots and the tabulation of results. The mission will stay in Armenia till the end of February. ODIHR will issue a final report about two months after the end of the electoral process.
Ambassador Tagliavini refrained from assessing the activity of the Armenian political forces. Nor did the head of the observation mission want to speak about the changes noted in the country following the recommendations of international observers in the previous elections.
"As a rule, we do not compare elections. After the previous elections, we gave definite recommendations to the Armenian authorities and we know that a working group has been set up to execute them. We have told the country's authorities that the work should not have been launched ahead of the election," said Ambassador Heidi Tagliavini.
OSCE/ODIHR representatives will meet with presidential candidates and representatives of the civil society before election day [February 18].
