OSCE should control election as free observer, MP says

YEREVAN, October 26. /ARKA/. The OSCE should control the forthcoming presidential election as a free observer, said ARF (Armenian Revolutionary Federation) Dashnaktsutiun Member, MP Hrair Karapetian. “Observers from one country should not prevail over others,” he said.

Karapetian pointed out that OSCE observers should make judgments basing on concrete facts, and not on “what they heard.” For this, they should participate more actively in the organizational activities in polling stations.

“It is unreasonable to ban the participation of foreign democratic missions in the election,” said Karapetian.

Russia- EU (European Union) proposed today during the summit in Lisbon to restrain the authority of the OSCE during the presidential election in Armenia. Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan approved of the document, according to which the OSCE observers should observe elections in all its member-countries.

If the document is adopted by the OSCE member-countries, 400-600 observers will be sent to the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) for extended monitoring and about 50 observers for general monitoring.

According to the document, OSCE observers should avoid commenting on the election before the official publication of the results.

The CIS also proposes to transmit conclusions of observers to the OSCE standing council for making a final decision on the election. At the same time, any country mat put a veto on the decision, which restrains the authority of observers.

The document will probably be on the agenda of the sitting of Foreign Ministers of the OSCE member-countries. Z. Sh. –0—