Fair Vote mission repots numerous cases of administrative abuse by  ruling party in Armenia

ArmInfo.  The "Fair Vote" observation mission has recorded numerous cases of abuse of administrative resources by Armenia's ruling Civil Contract party  during the campaign ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled  for June 7.

According to the mission's second interim report received by ArmInfo,  the data was compiled based on observer reports and public data  collected on the websites youthvote.live and fyca.net.

According to the report, the mission documented abuse of official  positions, administrative resources, and state resources. As the Fair  Vote mission noted in this regard, civil servants and officials are  prohibited from using their official position for partisan gain, as  enshrined in the Civil Service Law and the Code of Conduct. "State  resources, i.e., working time, premises, equipment, and personnel,  cannot be used to further the interests of a political force.  International standards require the neutral and non-discriminatory  use of administrative resources throughout the electoral process,"  the mission explained.

Meanwhile, as noted in the report, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol  Pashinyan proposed on his Facebook page on May 16 that the driver's  licenses of those deprived of them be reinstated within a year,  without an exam, under certain conditions. Later that same day, he  posted a poll about online voting, with a commitment to implement  this initiative if public support is received.

"This proposal was presented as an initiative of the current prime  minister, not as a promise from a party candidate, which violates the  principle of neutrality of administrative resources. Furthermore,  Deputy Mayor of Spitak Artak Matosyan attended the ruling party's  campaign event during working hours and, in response to a  journalist's question, confirmed that he had come to the meeting  during working hours. Acting Director of the Artashat Cultural  Development Center Ninel Gabrielyan and choreographer Tiruhi  Soghomonyan organized and participated in the Civil Contract party's  campaign event, acting as officials and utilizing community  resources," the mission added.

Furthermore, according to the source, in Stepanavan, on the mayor's  instructions, employees of kindergartens, hospitals, and schools  participated in Civil Contract meetings, while administrative  resources were deployed at the ruling party's rally; in particular,  employees of the municipality's utilities department participated in  the installation and removal of campaign materials. Furthermore,  "Fair Vote" touched upon cases of coercion, pressure, intimidation,  and dismissal, recalling that the Armenian Criminal Code (Article 236  - coercion to participate in a meeting, Article 203 - discrimination)  prohibits threatening employees with dismissal or other negative  consequences in order to influence their political choices.

However, despite this, the mission noted that on May 13, during the  ruling party's election campaign in the community of Aparan, school  principals and teachers participated in an event during working  hours, and students were pulled out of classes to meet with the prime  minister. The report notes that children were even given instructions  regarding their appearance. Another incident, the observation mission  reported, was recorded at a primary school in the village of Verin  Artashat, where classes were concluded earlier than planned so that  students could attend a meeting with the prime minister. The school's  teachers and principal Shushanik Hakhnazaryan were also present at  the event. "It was recorded that during the Civil Contract campaign,  a 16-year-old boy, sitting in the courtyard, expressed his  disagreement with those shouting the ruling party's slogans.  Employees of the district administration's trade department  approached him and urged him to "keep calm," then promised to come  for him later. Furthermore, on October 19, 2023, Tavush Region  Governor Hayk Galumyan appointed Artur Melikyan as the coordinator of  the administrative and economic department of Aygedzor Secondary  School, signing a five-year employment contract with him, but fired  him for participating in an opposition meeting," the mission  reported.

Fair Vote further recalled the Electoral Code of Armenia's  prohibition of hate speech during campaigning, adding that the  Criminal Code of Armenia prohibits inciting hatred among the masses,  and the Code of Conduct requires restraint and respect from public  servants. Meanwhile, according to the source, a significant increase  in disrespectful remarks, personal insults, threats, and obscene  language was recorded during the election campaign, contributing to  heightened social tension. As an example, the observation mission  cited the use of harsh, rude, and in some cases even unacceptable  language during an argument between the head of the Artsakh  Revolutionary Party, Artur Osipyan, and Nikol Pashinyan. The "Fair  Vote" campaign called the Prime Minister's remarks regarding persons  forcibly displaced from Artsakh particularly alarming, noting that  they exacerbate public sentiment.

"On May 14, the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption (CPC)  issued a statement addressing the limits of freedom of expression for  officials during the pre-election period, emphasizing the importance  of polite, respectful behavior, and restraint. Meanwhile, Pashinyan  threatened Prosperous Armenia Party leader Gagik Tsarukyan with the  use of administrative resources to expropriate his property and  called on factory workers to strike. During the campaign, Pashinyan  also insulted representatives of other political forces, such as  Strong Armenia bloc leader Samvel Karapetyan, saying, "I hope the  taste of the state remains in your mouth," the mission recalled.

The report further emphasizes that, according to the UN Convention on  the Rights of the Child and the guidelines of the UN Committee on the  Rights of the Child, children should not be manipulated for political  purposes or put at risk. The Armenian Law "On General Education," in  turn, according to the source, prohibits political activity or  campaigning in educational institutions. However, as the mission's  report notes, on May 13, schoolchildren in the community of Aparan  were taken out of class to meet with the prime minister and  participate in his campaign event. Students at a school in the  village of Tsaghkashen were given T-shirts with the Civil Contract  party logo, and in Verin Artashat, students at the community center  were also involved in a political campaign event. The report also  identifies shortcomings in the work of election commissions. In this  regard, it is recalled that commissions must operate transparently,  impartially, and ensure equal access. Meanwhile, according to the  source, as of May 14, only eight of the 18 political forces  participating in the elections had published their election platforms  on the Central Election Commission (CEC) website. "Although  publishing platforms is not required by law, it is a fundamental  element of democratic elections, allowing voters to make informed  decisions. Ten political forces have still not presented their  platforms," the mission emphasized.

The observation mission also noted serious problems with the  transparency of party funding, noting that as of May 14, there is no  consolidated information on this matter, which, in their opinion,  hinders the ability of voters and civil society to form an informed  position.

The mission also noted the illegal posting of campaign materials as  another problem, emphasizing that the Electoral Code clearly states  that campaign posters, printed materials, and other publicly visible  materials may only be displayed on special panels approved by the  head of the community or at election headquarters.

The report also documented instances of biased use of media and  social media, as well as obstruction of freedom of peaceful assembly.