PACE has observed every election in Armenia since 1995 and, despite the complex electoral system and reported instances of intimidation via social media, the recurring electoral irregularities which tainted many elections in the past were absent, head of the delegation from the PACE Aleksander Pociej said.

“It is up to Armenia’s elected representatives to launch legal reforms to consolidate the democratic process in the country,” he said when presenting the results of the observation mission on Monday.

He assured that PACE and the Venice Commission hope to continue close cooperation with Armenia, while the results will be also presented during the PACE Plenary Session in January, 2018.

“These elections were very well organized, with minimal irregularities and free of pressure on voters. I am very happy that, as a result, public trust in the electoral process was high” said, Heidi Hautala, Head of the delegation from the European Parliament. “We congratulate the Armenian authorities and participants in these elections and encourage the government and National Assembly to further improve the legislation ahead of future elections. The European Union, including the European Parliament, will continue to assist in this process.”