The Steering Committee released a statement in which it expresses its position on the Constitutional referendum in Azerbaijan and on the parliamentary elections in Belarus and Georgia, as well as its stance on the upcoming presidential election in Moldova and the legislative elections in Armenia.
The statement highlights several irregularities which occurred during the voting days in Azerbaijan and Belarus, despite some improvements regarding the electoral process in the Belarus case. With regards to the Georgian elections, the Steering Committee appreciates that the ongoing parliamentary election was judged positively by the International Election Observation Mission which included OSCE/ODIHR.
Furthermore, the statement outlines the lack of trust of the Moldovan and Armenian people in their governments, mainly due to the high level of corruption. Under these circumstances the upcoming elections will be held in Armenia and Moldova. Therefore, the Steering Committee considers that it is imperative for these elections to be free and fair.
The Steering Committee also calls on the member organisations of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum to do their utmost to uphold this principle and appeals to political parties in the European Union to unequivocally support such efforts for a free and fair political system in the Eastern Partnership.
