Leader of the OSCE election observation mission in Armenia: “We are here to witness a process more than the result”
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Capitalizing on technological advancements, iDitord aims to engage Armenians in a new level of civic-participation, enabling voters to report election fraud through online submissions or text messages. The inclusion of mobile applications, and integration with phones and Twitter, should encourage tech savvy voters to engage with the electoral process in a country where one in three citizens is now online.
The Armenian government’s facilitation of such people-powered innovations used to strengthen the democratic process is encouraging and would indicate further progress away from the ballot box stuffing and outright buying of votes that plagued elections in 2003 and 2007.
This week hundreds of parliamentarians and other OSCE observers from more than 20 countries will arrive in
Efforts to increase the number of women in elected office and serving in the election commission are welcome changes across a region where gender lines still too often dictate who sits in the halls of power.
New campaign finance restrictions and a provision for judicial remedy of all electoral disputes will hopefully add greater transparency and accountability to the campaign environment.
And new technology enabling voters to check their registration online should enhance the citizen experience to make
The move toward great citizen engagement also highlights an important aspect for
Despite its rich history,
Seeing all this, the 6 May elections – the first to be held under the newly amended electoral code – should provide a solid basis for democracy.
But new legislative reforms and high-tech changes alone will not ensure democratic elections – people will. All stakeholders have a role to play now, on election day, and beyond, to promote the fair conduct of genuine democratic elections.
Armenians have demonstrated their potential to live up to their democratic commitments in the past. Five years ago we found the elections to be largely in line with OSCE commitments. We hope to see an even better performance this year.
Francois Xavier de Donnea
Francois Xavier de Donnea is a member of the Belgian Parliament and the special co-ordinator to lead the OSCE election observation mission in