CoE Describes Voter Turnout in Yerevan City Council Elections as 'Historically Low'

The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, which has completed its observation mission for the Yerevan City Council elections, characterized the voting process as "calm, peaceful, and well-organized," while describing the voter turnout as "historically low." This is noted in the statement released by the Congress.

"Overall, the delegation observed a calm, peaceful, and well-organized election day without serious incidents or anomalies," the statement from the delegation said, also noting that the identification devices and cameras operated smoothly, reducing the potential for fraud.

Comprising nine members and led by Karla Dejonghe, the delegation randomly visited 113 polling stations across all 12 administrative districts of Yerevan.

"We welcome the reforms that have taken place as a result of the amendments to the Electoral Code, as well as the efforts of the Central Electoral Commission that contributed to the overall transparency and professionalism of the election day. These changes included special training for the chairpersons and secretaries of polling stations, and we recommend making these mandatory in the future to further standardize electoral procedures," the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe wrote.

However, EU observers noted with regret the lack of interest among voters. "The delegation expressed regret over the lack of interest in local self-government elections, especially among young voters, which is reflected in the historically low voter turnout in Yerevan. Furthermore, issues concerning local interests were sometimes overshadowed by security concerns, understandably expressed by many voters and competitors regarding the situation in the Lachin corridor. We can only share the concerns of Yerevan residents and call for an urgent resolution of this situation," the statement said.

The delegation also noted that the election campaign was "polarized," primarily driven by mayoral candidates. Moreover, the delegation was informed of alleged abuses of administrative resources and bias in media coverage, which favored the ruling party's mayoral candidate.

"In this regard, and to ensure equal competitive conditions, we believe that there is a need for additional guarantees regarding the period preceding the official campaign, including funding related to campaigns and parties," the CoE observers stated.

Among the shortcomings in organizing the electoral process, the Congress highlighted the accessibility issues at polling stations for people with disabilities and the lack of female candidates among the leading candidates of the parties, despite the legal requirement to maintain a 30% quota in the lists. Additionally, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe reiterated its previous recommendation to hold all local self-government elections on the same day.