Guaranteeing the right to vote is the cornerstone of the Defender’s activity. Democratic institutions and governing system are developed in the country due to this right. The freer and less restricted the exercising right to vote is, the greater will be the confidence in the newly composed body, which was formed as a result of expression of public will.
Therefore, the Human Rights Defender’s Office conducted a 24-hour monitoring of the entire electoral process on the basis of the fundamental principles of impartial and apolitical work. For this purpose, a special working group had been created which conducted a comprehensive examination under the direct supervision of the Defender, ensured the discussion of all the complaints and hotline calls, provided citizens with round-the-clock consultation.
Based on the conducted monitoring, the Human Rights Defender notes the following:
Voting took place in a quiet and peaceful atmosphere, without tension. This allowed the citizens to exercise their right to vote freely and thus to form the basis for governing the capital of our country as a single community.
Throughout the electoral process, the Defender’s Office effectively collaborated with the Central Electoral Commission and law enforcement bodies.
Particular attention was paid to ensuring the work of observers and journalists. The monitoring shows that the conditions for the observers and journalists to work unrestrictedly were guaranteed (there were several recorded incidents related to the work of journalists and observers). NGOs conducting electoral monitoring also performed an important mission.
No cases of involvement of schools and kindergartens in the political processes of Yerevan City Council elections were recorded by the Human Rights Defender. The Defender considers the continuous efforts of the Minister of Education and Science particularly important in solving this issue.
There were no cases of threatening voters, any type of pressure on them and hindering the free exercise of the right to vote in general.
Unfortunately, there was an increase in the number of insults, even threats, and intolerance, which were most prominent on social media and were being disseminated especially during the pre-election period mostly by evidently fake users.
These phenomena caused tension, which resulted in dividing the society into groups. Therefore, it should be completely excluded, since these incidents negatively influence the atmosphere of solidarity in the country and have a dangerous impact on the entire human rights protection system. The Human Rights Defender will utilize maximum efforts within his mandate to prevent such actions.
Solidarity and tolerance are indispensable guarantees of fully exercising the right to vote. This ensures unhindered exercise of citizen’s right to vote and effective organization of electoral process.
In this election process, the issue of ensuring the exercise of the right to vote of persons with disabilities was still present. The majority of polling stations remain inaccessible for them.
The Defender’s hotline received 11 calls about the inability of the voter to participate in the voting process. Maximum efforts should be made to ensure the accessibility of polling stations and to create equal opportunities for persons with disabilities to exercise their right to vote.
Relevant measures will be taken, as well as consistent examinations will be carried out within the Defender’s mandate in regard to all the registered incidents and violations. The Defender’s Office will also follow the examination of a number of criminal cases.