From: Justin Burke (JBurke@sorosny.org)
Date: Wed Apr 02 2003 - 09:45:17 EST
Chief Council of Europe observer urges Armenia to improve before next
polls
Text of report by Armenian news agency Mediamax
Yerevan, 1 April: The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
[PACE] discussed a report on the Armenian presidential elections at its
spring session in Strasbourg on 31 March.
The head of the Council of Europe observers' mission, Lord
Russell-Johnston, submitted to the PACE session an addition to the
report adopted earlier relating to the second round of the presidential
elections held in Armenia on 5 March.
"Voting was conducted in a quiet and organized way. The elections were
well-organized and transparent as monitored by observers and proxies at
the majority, i.e. 87 per cent, of the polling stations. I witnessed the
excellent organization and holding of the voting at all the polling
stations which I visited. Unfortunately, other observers saw quite a
different picture," Lord Russell-Johnston said in his report.
The head of the Council of Europe observers' mission expressed the hope
that the country's authorities would take into consideration the
recommendations and take real steps to improve the situation before the
parliamentary elections due to be held in Armenia on 25 May. Lord
Russell-Johnston said that a large PACE delegation had to be sent to
monitor the parliamentary elections in Armenia. Moreover,
Russell-Johnston proposed that the PACE bureau discuss sending a special
commission to Armenia a month before the elections.
Source: Mediamax news agency, Yerevan, in Russian 0637 gmt 1 Apr 03
BBC Mon TCU 010403 sa/lg
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