Countdown to the (uh-hum) democratic elections?
So much is happening in Armenian now with the upcoming parliamentary elections.
Have you noticed the way in which the police force is currently working? The police no longer are stopping cars randomly to collect their daily bribes from drivers. Instead they have been told to stop drivers only when they drive recklessly and give out tickets without accepting pay offs. I tend to think that this ‘evolution’ is a game to help current authorities win the elections (I hope I’m wrong).
Also recently, the Central Election Commission has implemented a new strategy to help ensure that citizens actively participate during this year’s parliamentary elections. There are new announcements made through local Armenian radio stations encouraging citizens to register themselves for the elections. Citizens may go online (www.elections.am) to register themselves. But the majority of the population either does not have access to Internet or are not computer literate, so I’m not sure how this will help.
Opposition authorities insist that the current and amended Election Code is still very weak and allows for undemocratic ambiguities. But what is the general perception and opinion of the public? The Election Code may be amended and the general election and voting process revised, but what, many are asking, actually happens before the election process begins?
Several Armenians have told me that they are not registered to vote and when they have gone to register themselves (and have brought the appropriate documentation), they were given the runaround. Others have told me that they are registered but they refuse to waste their time to vote because their voice does not count and that votes are already pre-bought by local authorities (through bribes).
Whatever electoral amendments may have been implemented, and no matter how many international organizations monitor the election process, the question remains whether the public will have the political will and faith to actively participate in these upcoming parliamentary elections. Even if it does, it will remain to be seen whether there have been democratic, real and fair changes in the pre-election period.
Have you noticed the way in which the police force is currently working? The police no longer are stopping cars randomly to collect their daily bribes from drivers. Instead they have been told to stop drivers only when they drive recklessly and give out tickets without accepting pay offs. I tend to think that this ‘evolution’ is a game to help current authorities win the elections (I hope I’m wrong).
Also recently, the Central Election Commission has implemented a new strategy to help ensure that citizens actively participate during this year’s parliamentary elections. There are new announcements made through local Armenian radio stations encouraging citizens to register themselves for the elections. Citizens may go online (www.elections.am) to register themselves. But the majority of the population either does not have access to Internet or are not computer literate, so I’m not sure how this will help.
Opposition authorities insist that the current and amended Election Code is still very weak and allows for undemocratic ambiguities. But what is the general perception and opinion of the public? The Election Code may be amended and the general election and voting process revised, but what, many are asking, actually happens before the election process begins?
Several Armenians have told me that they are not registered to vote and when they have gone to register themselves (and have brought the appropriate documentation), they were given the runaround. Others have told me that they are registered but they refuse to waste their time to vote because their voice does not count and that votes are already pre-bought by local authorities (through bribes).
Whatever electoral amendments may have been implemented, and no matter how many international organizations monitor the election process, the question remains whether the public will have the political will and faith to actively participate in these upcoming parliamentary elections. Even if it does, it will remain to be seen whether there have been democratic, real and fair changes in the pre-election period.
posted by Lara at 11:18 PM
3 Comments:
Thanks for posting about the election, and I'm sure many others will appreciate more posts about it as the date grows nearer.
Meanwhile, there are two blogs in Armenian and English dealing with the election in Armenia although both are still in the testing phase, but nonetheless working.
Internews Armenia Blog
http://ditord.wordpress.com/
http://munetik.wordpress.com/
Center for Regional Development / Transparency International Armenia
http://blog.transparency.am
http://blog.transparency.am/blog/
Incidentally, it is my understanding that CRD/TI Armenia and It's Your Choice (http://www.iyc.am) will soon be offering Armenians from the Diaspora the opportunity to come to Armenia to observe the vote on election day.
More details will be posted on the CRD/TI Armenia blog in the next day or so.
Apologies, I think I got the CRD/TI Armenia Armenian link wrong. It should be http://blog.transparency.am/arm/
Take Action! Become an Election Observer in May
It’s Your Choice, the largest domestic election observation organization in the Republic of Armenia, and the Center for Regional Development / Transparency International Armenia invite Armenians from abroad to take part in this critical and historical event. Communities in the Diaspora are particularly encouraged to send representatives to monitor the conduct of the vote.
For more details:
http://blog.transparency.am/?p=34
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