Armenian election legislation quite perfect: CIS observer says

YEREVAN, January 22. / ARKA /. Armenian election legislation is quite perfect, Alexander Stoianoglo - the coordinator of the group of observers from the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly, monitoring the presidential election process in Armenia, said today.

"We want to support the holding of elections in accordance with international standards, democratic norms, and we hope that the media will help implement it,” he said after meeting with the leadership of the Central Election Committee.

Stoianoglo said  an  expert group from the International Institute of Monitoring Development of Democracy,  Parliamentarism and the Electoral Rights of Citizens will be in Armenia to follow the election campaign.

He said some 35 MPs from CIS countries will arrive later to watch the polls. "Today we note with satisfaction that the electoral process in the country is proceeding constructively, within the law, in accordance with the democratic principle," Stoianoglo said.

He said the experts from CIS Interparliamentary Assembly met both with members of the CEC, and with representatives of other government agencies involved in the conduct of the election, as well as with representatives of the candidates.

"All the suggestions that were made today, we conveyed to the CEC " he said.

The February 18 election will be contested by eight candidates - the incumbent president Serzh Sargsyan, former prime minister Hrant Bagratian, ex-foreign minister Raffi Hovannisian, a Soviet time dissident Paruyr Hayrikyan, former foreign minister of Karabakh Arman Melikyan, a political analyst Andrias Ghukasyan, a businessman Vartan Sedrakian and Aram Harutyunyan, leader of a small National Unity party. -0-