IYC: Election Cleanest Yet?

ArmeniaNow reports that the head of It’s Your Choice, the largest domestic election observation mission, has said that this year’s presidential election might be the cleanest yet. While that might not be based on a particularly high baseline, there is some truth in the matter given less of the irregularities and intimidation that preceded the 2003 vote or last year’s parliamentary election.

However, problems specifically remain when it comes to the absence of actual programs from candidates and mutual mudslinging as well as the tendency for the media to cover only the events of Serge Sargsyan and Levon Ter-Petrossian. There were also once again problems registered with candidates launching their campaigns long before the 21 January official start.

“Candidates more slam one another and trade accusations instead of presenting provisions of their programs, because of which voters find it difficult to decide who to vote for,” It’s Your Choice NGO chairman Harutyun Hambartsumyan stated at the Friday club on Monday.

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“Two television companies in Syunik, Sosi and Khustup, refused to broadcast presidential candidate Artur Baghdasaryan’s commercial announcement of an upcoming meeting with voters,” the NGO’s chairman said.

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As progress Hambartsumyan mentioned the posting of voter lists in all polling stations in due time and manner. The absence of such lists, according to him, was widespread during the previous elections.

“This year we don’t see violence that was used even during the latest parliamentary election to obstruct the bringing of people to public rallies from provinces,” Hambartsumyan said.

The NGO’s head called for specification in provisions covering the period preceding the campaign stage, since the election code does not work prior to the campaign even if violations take place.