Yesterday the British Embassy issued the following press release on behalf of the European Union Member States represented in Yerevan:
The EU welcomes the Armenian government’s positive role in the process of constitutional reform and believes that the package of amendments proposed by the Government of Armenia will pave the way for the strengthening of democracy in Armenia.
However, the EU is concerned about reports of ballot stuffing and manipulation of the turnout figures and intimidation of local observers during the referendum held on November 27. A failure to prevent activities such as this question Armenia’s commitment to transparency and democracy.
The EU commends the efforts of the Council of Europe observation team and notes their statement of November 28. The EU urges the Government of Armenia, and specifically the Central Election Commission, to take seriously the Council of Europe observers’ recommendation of a thorough investigation about the allegations of fraud, and calls on the Government of Armenia to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.
Proper conduct of the whole electoral process is crucial for the democratic credentials of Armenia, particularly if we take into account the parliamentary and presidential elections which are to be held in 2007 and 2008 respectively. Against this background, the EU would have welcomed a decision by the Government of Armenia to invite the OSCE/ODIHR to observe the referendum.
The EU would also have welcomed the participation of the opposition parties in Armenia in the referendum and regrets their decision to withdraw their members from the election commissions.
The EU calls on all parties to ensure that any demonstrations continue to go well.