Armenian Observer in Russia State Duma Elections Didn’t Find Any Substantial Violations

Two of the 95 observers of the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission in the State Duma elections in Russia, representing Armenia, were Artak Davtyan of the Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) and Stepan Safaryan of the Heritage Party.

According to Davtyan, in the 12 polling stations they visited, they didn’t find any substantial violations.

“During the visits, we spent 30–40 minutes at each polling station and, naturally, we directed the first question to those carrying out the observation mission and particularly to members of the opposition party. None of them revealed any significant violations at the noted polling stations,” he said.

The HHK MP, however, mentioned the main violations recorded in these elections.

“First, the voting booths were tables divided into four parts, and, judging by the table’s structure, it was already clear that secrecy of the ballot couldn’t have been ensured.

“Second, the voting boxes and voting booths were quite close to one another, and third, I have to say, not all those at the polling stations were informed of their obligations. In some polling stations, beginning from the president of the [electoral] commission, they asked us for necessary documents outlining our business and they weren’t allowing us to enter the polling station.

“This is a very basic and simple question — why were they not informed and didn’t know what rights international observers have? As a result, 15–20 minutes were necessary to clarify our rights,” he said.

According to former de facto foreign minister of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh Arman Melikyan, he has had the opportunity of participating in different-level elections, both in Armenia and abroad.

“Observers’ impressions cannot be a complete reflection of actual developments [on the ground]. Considering that Russia is a huge country, and several thousand people had voiced their complaints in both Moscow and St. Petersburg, I can say one thing, that, basically, there’s no united opposition in that country and these violations didn’t, in fact, cause such ire among the people, so that they come out and protest as it was in Armenia in 1999,” he said.

With regard to the possible outcome of Russia’s parliamentary elections on Armenia, Davtyan advised to wait.

“I think, we have to see what type of government and executive [administration] forms in Russia and what changes the Russian Federation will make in the main directions of its foreign policy, then we will be able to speak more subjectively,” he said.