As the first significant election to be held since last year’s bitterly disputed and highly controversial presidential vote, the conduct of the poll to determine Yerevan’s mayor should have provided the authorities with the sorely-needed opportunity to improve Armenia’s democratic credentials in the international arena. However, while a small team of European observers considered the municipal election to be “largely conducted in compliance with European standards,” local observers and analysts were not impressed.
Speaking to Osservatorio, Armenian National and International Studies (ACNIS) Director Richard Giragosian is one of many critical of the vote. “It was outrageous and yet another example of the systemic abuse and misuse of administrative resources, the power of incumbency in this country, and yet another lost opportunity for Armenia to actually turn the page after the 1 March fiasco. However, the real hypocrisy comes not from the Armenian government, but from the European observers who once again endorsed a fragrantly abusive election.”
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“It was strict confirmation that things are still unacceptably bad and we’re going in the wrong direction. Armenia is approaching a crossroads where it might become even more authoritarian by following a Belarus model. However, the real determinant here is not politics, but economics. The political stalemate and polarization can sustain the system, and it can be managed, but an economic crisis would be the tipping point. If the government can’t handle that, then this will pose more serious challenges.” link