|
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
|
|
|
Steering Committee Supports the ANP Statement and Demands the Annulment of the Constitutional Referendum in Armenia21 December 2015 The Steering Committee of the Civil Society Forum fully supports the statement of the Armenian National Platform of the CSF dated 9 December 2015 on the conduct of the referendum on Amendments to the Armenian Constitution held on 6 December 2015. The catalogue of infringements described in the statement backed by reports from independent observers of the vote depict a depressing picture of a government determined to push through constitutional changes regardless of the views of Armenian voters. The conduct of the referendum and the results published by the government suggests that the whole process failed to legitimise the proposed amendments and thus undermines the right of the authorities to enact laws, govern and enter into international agreements on the basis of the new constitution. This situation can only be rectified if the Central Election Commission nullifies the result of the referendum and the perpetrators of the electoral fraud committed on 6 December 2015 are identified and punished. Only a new, free and fair referendum can determine the true views of the voters on the constitutional amendments. It is also entirely logical that the European Union institutions which launched negotiations on a Framework Agreement with the Republic of Armenia on 7 December 2015 should include these demands as a condition for continuing the negotiations. It is clear that a government which is ready to cheat its own citizens on such an important issue as the country’s Basic Law cannot be considered to be a credible partner in negotiations which will lead to binding economic and legal decisions. |
Project funded by the European Union
