U.S. Embassy Statement on Constitutional Referendum

The U.S. Embassy continues to monitor the recount proceedings of the constitutional referendum held on December 6. We have previously noted our serious concern about credible allegations of irregularities in the referendum reported by non-partisan observers and various Armenian political parties. We welcome the public commitment of Armenian Government officials, including the Prosecutor General and the Ombudsman for Human Rights, to fully report and investigate credible allegations.

We reiterate that the results of the investigations and prosecutions of those responsible for any irregularities must be transparent and public in order for the Armenian people to have confidence in the integrity of the electoral process. Full and transparent investigations, as well as the resulting public reports, even if they do not lead to criminal prosecutions, can help the Electoral Commission, the National Assembly, and civil society identify possible improvements to current electoral procedures. In accordance with the U.S. commitment to fight corruption worldwide, the U.S. Embassy can also draw upon the information contained in such reports to help assess whether any individuals who directly interfered in the integrity of the December 6 electoral process can participate in Embassy programs or activities. Looking ahead, we renew our call for the Armenian government and Parliament to adopt a new electoral code in line with OSCE/ODIHR’s recommendations, and urge that reform of the new code be carried out in accordance with international standards, in order to increase the integrity of electoral processes in Armenia.