OSCE/ODIHR are ‘Not Election Police,’ Says Head of Election Observation Mission in Armenia

“OSCE/ODIHR are not election police nor are they substitutes for [local] authorities,” said Radmila Šekerinska, head of the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission, at a press conference in Yerevan today, responding to a reporter’s question as to whether she believed the number of election observers deployed are sufficient to cover all precincts in the country on election day.

Šekerinska stressed that the OSCE/ODIHR will be deploying a standard election observation mission for the 2012 parliamentary elections in Armenia. The scope of the mission — which includes 24 long-term observers and 250 short-term observers (to be requested from OSCE states) who will be deployed in teams of two — was determined based on the recommendations of an OSCE/ODIHR needs assessment mission that was sent to Armenia in January. Note, the mission also includes 13 international experts and additional observers on Election Day provided by other European bodies.

After a reporter’s comment that a major opposition group in Armenia requested more observers (enough to cover the 2,000 precincts in the country), the head of the election observation mission said:

“As I mentioned, we have used a standard procedure and we have used our needs assessment report that stated… various factors that this is or should be the scope of our mission in Armenia and it is our assessment that these numbers provide a good basis to deliver our mandate.”

“We are not here to replace the state authorities nor domestic observers. We are also not here to replace party observers. These numbers provide us with the statistical sample which is proven to be enough. In the case of irregularities, it is the local actors that have to respond to them,” she added.

Asked by Epress.am whether the short-term observers will be stationed in a few key polling stations or whether they will be circulating in several precincts, Šekerinska said as per standard procedure, observers will be going around to different polling stations.

Stressing that the mission’s role is to observe and “not to interfere or impose anything,” the head of the election observation mission said that the OSCE/ODIHR will issue two interim reports in the course of the mission and a final report approximately 8 weeks after the total electoral process is finished.

“All of this is part of standard procedure and methodology tested and refined in more than 250 elections in OSCE states,” she said.

A press conference will be held the day after election day to deliver preliminary findings and conclusions.