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On May 12, 2007, Senator Yoine Goldstein and Mrs. Nicole Demers, M.P., took part in the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly’s International Election Observation Mission of the parliamentary elections in Armenia. In a joint statement, the International Election Observation Mission for the May 12 parliamentary elections in Armenia concluded that the elections demonstrated improvement from previous ones and were largely in accordance with international commitments, although some issues remain unaddressed. The May 12, 2007, elections were to elect 131 seats in the National Assembly (parliament). Members of the National Assembly are elected for five-year terms. Ninety seats are elected on the basis of a national proportional contest of party/bloc lists and 41 by majority contest in single-mandate constituencies. In the proportional contest, to win election a party must pass a threshold of 5 per cent of the valid vote, while a bloc must pass 7 per cent. In the majority contests, the candidate polling the highest number of votes is the winner (first past the post). The election campaign was dynamic with extensive media coverage. Election Day was calm, with no major incidents reported, but a few cases of fraud schemes were observed. Some procedural problems arose during the count and tabulation of votes as well as isolated cases of deliberate falsifications. The election authorities generally worked efficiently and were well prepared for Election Day. For the first time there was a central and computerized voter register. Amendments to the Election Code provided that women constitute at least 15 per cent of each party/bloc list. Concerns remain, including gaps in the regulatory framework for elections, inconsistencies and legal contradictions. Furthermore, authorities were slow or non-responsive in correcting irregularities in the election process. Some 100 parliamentarians and 300 short-term observers monitored the elections for the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA), the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR), the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), and the European Parliament (EP). “These elections were a clear improvement and that is good for Armenian democracy,” said Tone Tingsgaard, Special Co-ordinator of the short-term election observers and Vice President of the OSCE PA. “Now, more work is needed to further consolidate this young democracy. That will require joint effort and will by all political forces. I hope we will see that happen in the years ahead.” Some challenges remain, such as intertwining between political and business interests, and improvements are still needed to the electoral complaints procedure. “Hopefully this election will contribute to restoring the trust of voters in the election process,” concluded Ambassador Boris Frlec, Head of the OSCE/ODIHR long-term mission. Respectfully submitted, The
Honourable Senator Consiglio Di Nino
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