YEREVAN. – All competent political and social forces plus the international organizations are equally included in the Armenian National Assembly (NA) Speaker-affiliated Electoral Process and Electoral Code Application Monitoring Working Group, NA Speaker Samvel Nikoyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am. 

“And if any one [political] party does not wish to take part in these activities, I have no particular desire to make any comments,” Nikoyan stated, reflecting on the fact that the opposition bloc Armenian National Congress (ANC) did not attend Friday’s meeting to form the aforesaid Group.      

At the same time the NA Speaker said the corresponding activities will continue, and added: “I believe it cannot be ruled out that the ANC could decide to join these activities. [But] If they do not respond and not partake, Godspeed.”   

As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, responding to NA Speaker Samvel Nikoyan’s letter of proposal, the representatives from Armenia’s political forces that will run in the forthcoming NA elections, NGO officials, and international organizations’ mission representatives to Armenia attended Friday the meeting, which was held at the NA, to form an NA Speaker-affiliated Electoral Process and Electoral Code Application Monitoring Working Group, NA Press Service informed.         

But representatives from the opposition bloc Armenian National Congress did not attend the meeting. 

Presenting the working group’s mission, Samvel Nikoyan encouraged the attendees to be tolerant toward one another from the very beginning, and to secure a harmonious working environment.   

It was noted that one of the working group’s primary functions will be to monitor the exercising of Armenia’s Electoral Code during the parliamentary elections, and to react to and prevent those manifestations that are inconsistent with Armenia’s working legislation.       

It was decided, by way of consensus, that all political forces which are registered to contend in the NA elections can be included in this working group, with one representative each.

Also, three of those NGOs that have the right to carry out observers’ mission in the elections will have the right to be included in this group.  

And it was decided that the international organizations will partake in the working group’s activities as observers.