Observer group uncovers violations in Gyumri elections

The International Center on Development of Parliamentarism will submit a detailed report to the Central Electoral Commission on Sunday’s snap municipal elections in Gyumri. According to the NGO head, Gohar Meloyan, the report will cover both pre-election misconduct and election day irregularities.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Meloyan revealed that several officials had threatened legal action against the organization’s observers, accusing them of defamation. She dismissed the claims as baseless and called for a public apology for false accusations.

She highlighted key irregularities observed on election day, saying many cameras were positioned in ways that failed to capture the registration devices. Additionally, numerous polling stations were set up in cramped spaces, complicating the voting process.

Repeated procedural violations were recorded, including commission members pre-selecting stacks of ballots instead of handing them individually to voters. In one instance, a voter inside the booth reported that a preferred party’s ballot was missing, prompting confusion among election officials.

Observers also reported misplacements, such as ballot No. 6 being positioned in a way that could be confused with ballot No. 9. "Maybe it was accidental, but it happened multiple times," she said. Additionally, some voters cast ballots without official stamps, automatically invalidating their votes.

Large-scale issues were reported outside polling stations as well, including attempts to direct voters. "We uncovered systematic operations by the ruling Civil Contract party representatives documented in lists. It was not merely participation monitoring, but rather voter control," Meloyan stated.

As election day concluded, some polling stations experienced power outages. Despite the challenges, Meloyan noted that cooperation with the media helped prevent several violations.

The International Center on Development of Parliamentarism was formed in 2019, declaring the primary goals of its activities: 

1. establishment of democracy,  2. the consolidation of the rule of law,  3. the development of parliamentarism,  4. raising people's awareness and legal consciousness,  5. and ensuring the implementation of personal, political, and socio-economic rights in the Republic of Armenia.

During 6 years of its operation, the organization has carried out awareness-raising activities and organized training courses in the regions of the Republic of Armenia.

ICDP also carries out observation missions in electoral processes, in the context of which it organizes training courses for observers.