Armenian election commission rejects bid to revoke observer's accreditation

Armenia’s Central Electoral Commission (CEC) on Saturday rejected a request by the opposition Bright Armenia party to strip civic activist Daniel Ioannisyan and his Union of Informed Citizens NGO of their observer status ahead of the June 7 parliamentary elections.

Bright Armenia argued Ioannisyan had breached neutrality by publicly criticizing the party, insisting that “a monitor cannot both assess the process and become a participant.” The CEC, however, concluded that political statements alone did not provide sufficient legal grounds to cancel accreditation.

Ioannisyan defended his role, saying he had published facts and assessments rather than engaging in political campaigning. The commission urged him to remove negative posts about Bright Armenia and avoid repeating them, but confirmed his mandate as an accredited observer remains valid.