Epress.am News from Armenia
On Jul. 11, RA Human Rights Defender Karen Andreasyan proposed the following individuals to the Armenian president for consideration as members of the Central Electoral Commission of Armenia:
- Artak Meliksetyan
- Armen Smbatyan
- Tatevik Ohanyan
On Jul. 9, Andreasyan had made the names of his proposed candidates public (then, Artak Meliksetyan, Aida Muradyan and Roza Stepanyan); however, Aida Muradyan and Roza Stepanyan withdrew their nominations Monday, citing news agencies mocking their young age and lack of experience, as well as the fact that they used to work in the same law firm as the ombudsman, as reasons for pulling out.
“Being young attorneys and not public-political figures, we were prepared to work in the Central Electoral Commission as not politicized and professional experts, but never be subjected to unjust attacks of our imagination.
“Realizing that in the case of expected political developments, CEC members will become more vulnerable and seeing how they relate to membership candidates not yet in office, we ask that you view this letter as a withdrawal application and not present us to the RA President for CEC membership,” write the two women in a letter to the Ombudsman.
The RA Human Rights Defender particularly emphasized that the replacement candidates, Armen Smbatyan and Tatevik Ohanyan, are over 25 years old and they have experience in electoral processes — not to mention that neither of them have worked with the Human Rights Defender in the same work environment.