Home > 2.3.1 National observers > ARMENIA - Electoral Code
 
 
 
Download file    
 
 
Article 32
 

Rights, responsibilities and guarantees for activities of an observer, mass media representative, visitor


1. An observer, mass media representative, visitor shall have the right to:


(1) be present at the sittings of electoral commission and, during the voting, in the voting room as well;
(paragraph removed by HO-119-N of 30 June 2016)


(2) observe, as prescribed by the Central Electoral Commission, the processes of printing, transportation, keeping and counting of ballot papers and self-adhesive stamps;


(3) get acquainted with election related documents under the disposal of the Central Electoral Commission, district electoral commission, and independently make extracts, receive copies of the documents which are not posted on the website of the Central Electoral Commission;


(4) get acquainted — in the presence of the chairperson, secretary of the precinct electoral commission or one of the members of the commission as assigned by the chairperson of the commission — with election related documents under the disposal of the precinct electoral commission (except for lists of electors having participated in the voting, during the voting), relevant court judgments, the relevant statement of information provided to the elector by the authorised body. Not intervening in the activities of the electoral commission and not hindering the voting process, independently make extracts from election related documents (except for lists of persons having participated in the voting, voting passes, during the voting, it shall be prohibited to make extracts and notes from the lists of persons having participated in the voting and from the voting passes),


(5) freely move in the voting room for observing the ballot papers, ballot envelopes, lists of electors and the ballot box;


(6) publicly, including through the mass media, express an opinion, make a statement on organising and holding of elections;


(7) enjoy other rights provided for by this Code.


2. When exercising their rights, an observer, visitor shall be obliged to be unbiased, neutral, not to express a prejudiced position publicly nor display a preferential attitude towards any issue related to the authorities or opposition, candidates, political parties running in elections. Observers may submit their personal observations to electoral commissions through the report of the observation mission. Observers shall base all their findings on their personal observations.


3. An observer, visitor, mass media representative shall not have the right to intervene in the activities of an electoral commission and in the process of voting, to conduct a campaign, to give instructions, make claims to members of the electoral commission.


4. An observer, mass media representative, visitor shall be obliged to register in the registration book of the electoral commission for being present at the sittings of the electoral commission, as well as during the voting, in the voting room.


An observer, mass media representative, visitor shall be obliged to — for being present at the electoral commission and, during the voting, also in the voting room — mandatorily carry, in a visible manner, the certificate of the established sample issued by the Central Electoral Commission. (sentence deleted by HO-119-N of 30 June 2016)


5. No limitation of the rights of observer, mass media representative, visitor, prescribed by this Code, shall be allowed. No one (including electoral commissions) shall have the right to remove an observer, mass media representative, visitor from the polling station or otherwise exclude them from the activities of the commission, except for the cases provided for by parts 5 and 8 of Article 31 and part 7 of Article 65 of this Code.
In case an observer, mass media representative, visitor is asked to leave the polling station or the sittings of the electoral commission, a relevant entry shall be made in the registration book of the electoral commission together with an indication of the reasons.


(Article 32 amended, supplemented by HO-119-N of 30 June 2016, amended, supplemented by HO-158-N of 20 October 2016)
(Amendments to Article 32 shall be applied upon the entry into force of the Law of HO-158-N of 20 October 2016, starting from the first round of election of the National Assembly)