OSCE, EU donate equipment to improve voter registration

YEREVAN, 29 March 2012 – Thirty six computers and printers were given today to the Armenian police by the OSCE Office in Yerevan with EU financial support to help prepare for the forthcoming parliamentary and presidential elections.

The Deputy Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan, Carel Hofstra, and the Deputy Head of the Armenian Police, Major-General Artur Osikyan, signed the handover agreement. The equipment will be provided to the Passport and Visa Department to help the police compile the register of voters and cross-check it against other databases more efficiently.

“The Passport and Visa Department has a very important role in the run up to the elections. The credibility of the entire elections depends on a reliable voters’ register,” said Carel Hofstra. “The register has already been greatly improved during past elections and we trust that this donation will help to improve its accuracy still further.”

The provision of technical equipment to the police is part of a project on strengthening electoral processes in Armenia in line with international standards, implemented by the OSCE Office in Yerevan and financed by the EU with 1.7 million euros.