Armenia Alliance Issues a Statement

The Armenia Alliance has issued a statement which reads: ‘While public attention is focused on the extremely severe security situation around Artsakh and Armenia, the authorities, taking advantage of this circumstance, have recorded another clear retreat of democracy.

During the past week, individuals directly connected to the current authorities have been elected to leadership positions in constitutionally independent bodies, specifically in the Central Electoral Commission and the Supreme Judicial Council. The clear demand of the principle of democracy is that such bodies must be filled with genuinely independent, professional, and politically neutral candidates. Despite these requirements, one political entity nominated and elected members from the same political entity through a formal procedure, prior to the election ensuring the status of independents.

It is noteworthy that the chair of the CEC has been elected as someone who represented the current authorities in the CEC during the snap elections in 2021 and has been an active member of the party, which is unprecedented for the position of CEC chair. At the same time, the chair of the Supreme Judicial Council was elected to one of the leadership positions of the ruling party a few months earlier. The purpose of pursuing such a policy is evident: to serve the interests of one political entity through independent constitutional bodies and completely undermine the guarantees of independence.

It is extremely disturbing that international organizations, which have defended democratic values in our country, have not reacted in any way to the facts of this retreat of democracy.’