INTERIM REPORT No. 2

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

• The election administration appears well-prepared to conduct the 19 February presidential election. On 9 February, the deadline for candidates to withdraw from the contest expired; no candidate withdrew. Nine candidates will participate in the contest.

  • All 1,923 Precinct Election Commissions (PECs) have been formed to conduct polling on election day. OSCE/ODIHR observers reported that the PEC training sessions, which began on 30 January, were well conducted.
  • PECs have eight members, five of which are appointed by political parties. The large majority of the persons elected as PEC Chairs were appointed through a ‘nomination chain’ by the President, the ruling Republican Party and its coalition partner Prosperous Armenia.
  • The Central Election Commission (CEC) will publish updated voter lists on its website three days before the election and will announce the number of voters registered at each PEC.
  • Official public service announcements on the elections were aired on television. The CEC Chair held a press conference in which he reassured voters of their freedom of choice and the secrecy of the vote; the Ombudsman made a statement against ‘vote buying’, and the Prosecutor General made a statement highlighting legal penalties for election violations.
  • The campaign rhetoric has at times been acrimonious. Eight candidates held campaign rallies. Most passed off peacefully, but unrest occurred at two of Levon Ter-Petrossian’s events. The OSCE/ODIHR EOM is aware of five incidents in which party or candidate premises have been damaged either through vandalism, shooting or possible arson.
  • The serving Prime Minister, Serzh Sargsyan, is actively campaigning. In the regions, OSCE/ODIHR observers reported difficulties in distinguishing accurately between Serzh Sargsyan’s campaign and the work of local self-government, partly because some mayors are actively campaigning for Mr Sargsyan.
  • Media monitoring indicates that the amount of political and election-related information has increased significantly from 21 January (start of official campaign period) onwards. On most of the media, the candidates’ total coverage time was more equitable than in the previous reporting period. However, the coverage of Levon Ter-Petrossian in various broadcast media contained many critical remarks, while the other eight candidates were presented in a generally positive or neutral manner.
  • To date, 18 formal complaints were filed with the CEC. On 1 February, the Constitutional Court received a petition by a candidate, Arman Melikyan, which it dismissed. On 8 February, the Court agreed to hear a petition by Levon Ter-Petrossian claiming that biased media coverage constituted “obstacles … that make his further participation in the election impossible”.
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