Policy Alert #8 – European Institutions ‘Broadly Welcome’ Armenia’s Proposed Electoral Reform
On April 21, 2020, the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe and OSCE/ODIHR published their Draft Joint Urgent Opinion on an electoral reform legislative package in Armenia that is expected to pass ahead of the announced early parliamentary election. The Joint Urgent Opinion understands the urgency of eliminating district seats, noting that it followed […]
Round table summary: Armenia – Does the early election endanger the electoral reform?
On 25 March, EPDE hosted a round table discussion with five Armenian and international election experts and representatives of political factions on the ongoing electoral reform in Armenia and its prospects ahead of the early parliamentary elections scheduled on 20 June 2021. 50 participants from the international expert community and donor countries joined the […]
Momentous reform – no more district seats
On April 1, 2021, a marathon parliamentary session removed district seats from Armenia’s Electoral Code. Change doesn’t happen overnight… until it does. Eliminating district seats from Armenia’s Electoral Code was the flagship policy in the electoral reform bill brought forward in October 2018 by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s first government. That bill failed to […]
Policy Alert #7 – Armenian Electoral Code Amended to Remove District Seats
On April 1, a marathon parliamentary session removed district seats from Armenia’s Electoral Code. Eliminating district seats was the flagship policy in the electoral reform bill brought forward in October 2018 by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s first government. That bill failed to attract enough votes to pass, but now it has finally been accomplished. What […]
Social media monitoring report 2020 presidential election
Highlights from the Political Accountability Foundation (PAF)’s social media monitoring report: Facebook (FB) was an important channel for candidates in their communication with voters – its importance during both 2020 Presidential elections was only exacerbated by the pandemic situation which led to the introduction of restrictions on physical campaigning. Some candidates managed to increase their […]
Social media monitoring of 2020 presidential election
Restrictions imposed on freedom of movement and freedom of assembly due to the COVID-19 pandemic during the first round of the election forced presidential candidates to run their campaign mostly via traditional and social media. PAF found that media outlets were far more active on Facebook than candidates. Candidates had a relatively limited ability in […]
By-elections in Ivano-Frankivsk region highly contentious with significant irregularities
OPORA hereby states the failure to ensure the right of voters for lawful and fair establishment of their voting results in a single-member constituency No 87 at elections of a people’s deputy of Ukraine. The extraordinary challenge for democracy and legality of elections in the constituency requires from the government and the law-enforcement authorities taking […]
By-elections – preliminary statement
Civil Network OPORA administered a comprehensive independent observation over the course of interim elections of people’s deputies in constituencies No 50 (Pokrovsk, Donetsk Oblast), and No 87 (Nadvirna, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast). We focused on the legality of procedures, competitiveness of the campaign, and its compliance with the international democratic standards. On the election day, March, 28, […]
Civil society calls for civilized pre-electoral campaign ahead of snap elections
Joint statement by Armenian CSOs, including EPDE members Transparency International Anticorruption Center Armenia and Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly – Vanadzor We, the undersigned representatives of civil society, are severely concerned about the hate speech and calls for violence, which are widespread in Armenia’s political landscape, and tend to be rising ahead of the snap parliamentary election. Problematic and […]
Need for agreement between political parties to overcome current crisis and continue the reform process
Letter by Georgian CSOs urging all political parties to reach an agreement in the next round of mediation to overcome the political stalemate. Dear Sirs and Madams, We have closely followed and observed the political developments of the last few months that you have been part of in Georgia. It is clear for everyone that the […]