International Observers: Armenia's Elections Were 'Competitive And Generally Well-Managed'

The joint observation mission from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA), and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) have concluded that Armenia's early parliamentary elections were competitive and generally well-managed. Speaking at a news conference in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, on June 21, the international observers added that the elections were characterized by intense polarization and marred by increasingly inflammatory language from key contestants. It was also noted that, "generally, women were sidelined throughout the campaign."