OSCE Office Head meets Armenian Parliament Speaker, discusses electoral reform and media legislation

YEREVAN, 19 October 2006 - The Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan, Ambassador Vladimir Pryakhin, discussed today with Tigran Torosyan, the Chairman of the Armenian National Assembly, the electoral reform and amendments to the law on TV and Radio.

Mr. Torosyan informed Ambassador Pryakhin that the amendments to the Electoral Code are expected to be adopted early December. Welcoming the readiness by the Armenian authorities to improve election legislation, Ambassador Pryakhin reiterated the concern expressed by experts of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe that a late adoption of amendments might jeopardize the preparations for the May 2007 parliamentary elections.

Ambassador Pryakhin said the OSCE was ready to assist Armenia in conducting elections according to international standards, and that the OSCE/ODIHR was ready to send an observation mission provided an invitation was issued by the Armenian authorities in a timely manner. The Chairman of the National Assembly agreed that the invitation should be issued as soon as possible.

Speaking about the law on TV and Radio, Ambassador Pryakhin expressed hope that public hearings on the draft amendments would be held before the new draft was submitted to Parliament. The previous draft was rejected in a first reading on 3 October. He also suggested an expert review of the amendments could be carried out with the help of the Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media.

The Head of the OSCE Office also informed Mr. Torosyan about the assistance projects that have been implemented by the Office in order to support the Armenian authorities in preparations for the elections and in the area of capacity-building of the legislature.