EU: The election result reflects the overall will of the Armenian people
“The European Union is committed to a stable, democratic and prosperous future of Armenia,” European Commission spokesperson Maja Kocijancic said on Tuesday, commenting on the Parliamentary elections held in Armenia on April 2. The Statement posted on EU External Action Service notes elections were well-administered and fundamental freedoms were generally respected, however, “the elections were tainted by credible information about vote-buying, and pressure on civil servants and employees of private companies, which contributed to an overall lack of public confidence and trust in the elections. Kocijancic next point out that t an unprecedented number of international and domestic observers were provided an enabling environment to carry out their work, yet international non-governmental organisations were not invited to observe, in contradiction to the 1990 OSCE Copenhagen Document.
“The International EOM welcomed the introduction of new technologies, which the European Union supported through a project successfully implemented alongside the Armenian authorities, as well as reforms of the legal framework. Despite some minor technical problems, fewer irregularities concerning ballot box stuffing, double voting, counting and tabulation of results were recorded by observers,” the statement read.
In conclusion, the EU vows to working with the democratically elected new Parliament and Government to strengthen our political dialogue and continue support to economic and social reform including on the basis of the recently initialled EU–Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement and within the larger framework of revised European Neighbourhood Policy and the Eastern Partnership.