YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 21, ARMENPRESS. OSCE/ODIHR observation mission has launched its works ahead of parliamentary election in Armenia, reports “Armenpress”.

In a meeting with reporters on February 21, Head of observation mission Jan Petersen said they have started their works on February 20 and held meetings with Foreign Minister of Armenia and members of the Central Electoral Commission.

“We want to thank the Armenian leadership for inviting us and we hope we will work with the leadership, political parties, civil society representatives during this period, expecting that their cooperation with us will be transparent”, Jan Petersen said.

He informed that their Yerevan team is comprised of 14 experts representing 13 countries who started working on February 20. “We will observe all issues that we will address in our reports. Next week long-term 28 observers will join us who will be deployed throughout the country. In the mid next week they will report us on the developments recorded in their observation territory”, he said.

Petersen said they expect that 250 short-term observers will join them close to the voting day who will record the voting process.

OSCE/ODIHR carries out 11th observation mission in Armenia. “We carry out the observation in accordance with the ODIHR methods. We are impartial, we will observe the elections based on the international standards and local norms. We will also provide comments on the campaign process”, he stated.

Petersen said they will present a report several weeks later which will present the facts and the preliminary assessments. “After the election we will present our preliminary observations on the voting. We will hold a press conference, and we expect that this will be a united report by us, the European Parliament, the Council of Europe. Two months later we will present the final report which will be based on our assessments and will include proposals and recommendations. Then, Armenia’s leadership and political parties will take into account our proposals and will make decisions based on that”, he said.

Armenia’s parliamentary election will be held on April 2. The election campaign will launch on March 5.