OSCE / ODIHR observers: If half of the country’s population are women, it should also be reflected in politics 11.12.2018

International observers at the meeting with Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan summed up the December 9^th extraordinary parliamentary elections praised women’s active participation and role in the electoral process.

In general, the representatives of observer missions noted with satisfaction the high level of organization of the election campaign and the conduct of parliamentary elections.

OSCE / ODIHR observers voiced their impressions, opinions and assessments during the December 10^th meeting with journalists in Yerevan.

“Today, on December 10^th, we celebrate the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and our assessment of Armenia’s elections is that fundamental human rights have been maintained,” said Ambassador Ursula Gachek, Head of the OSCE / ODIHR Election Observation Mission, assessment of the International Election Observation Mission.

OSCE Special Co-ordinator Peter Osusky, who attended the press conference, presented the election observation report, noting that these elections were held with respect for fundamental freedoms; there was great confidence in electoral processes that should be maintained through further electoral reform. He noted that political debates, including media, contributed to the activeness of the campaign, although the online rhetoric was worrying.

As regards women’s participation, observers report that all political forces participating in the proportional lists have provided the law of representing at least 25 percent of women, 32 percent of 1444 candidates were women.

Head of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Delegation Nahima Lange said that politics was a world of men’s descendants, but if half of the country’s population is women, it should also be reflected in politics.

Presenting the current situation, the authors of the report mentioned that women were not represented in government offices, they were 18 percent in the previous parliament; only one of the 21 ministers was female; there were no women in the 10 provinces, and only one of the 49 mayors.

It should be noted that in total, there were 320 observers from 39 countries, including 246 long-term observers and short-term OSCE / ODIHR, 50 parliamentarians from OSCE PA, 13 from PACE, From the European Parliament.