Just months after being accused of forcing public sector employees to campaign for the ruling Republican Party (HHK), the Armenian authorities plan to introduce tougher penalties for abuse of administrative resources during elections.
A government bill to be debated by the Armenian parliament soon would make it a crime for government agencies, public schools and other government-funded institutions or their personnel to participate in election campaigns using their state resources or positions. Individuals flouting this ban would risk up to five years in prison or heavy fines.
Armenian law currently imposes such restrictions only on those public sector employees who run for the parliament or local government bodies.
The Ministry of Justice drafted the package of amendments to various Armenian laws in response to domestic and international criticism of the authorities’ handling of parliamentary elections held in April.
Observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe cited “credible information” about “pressure on civil servants and employees of private companies” exerted during the election campaign. According to various news reports, they were forced to campaign for the HHK or risk losing their jobs.
The Union of Informed Citizens (UIC), a non-governmental watchdog, revealed in the run-up to the April 2 elections that its activists posing as HHK representatives telephoned 136 schools and kindergarten chiefs across Armenia. It said 114 of them admitted drawing up lists of children’s parents as well as schoolteachers and kindergarten staff who pledged to vote for the HHK. The UIC said the lists were submitted to local government bodies or HHK campaign offices. It also publicized audio of those phone conversations.
Armenian opposition forces portrayed the revelations as further proof of their allegations of HHK foul play in the parliamentary race.
The HHK admitted that many school principals participated in its election campaign. But it claimed that they did so “beyond their work hours and work duties.” None of them was fired or prosecuted.
A UIC representative, Daniel Ioannisian, welcomed the government bill but said it is overdue. “I wish we had these changes before, not after, the elections,” he told RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am).
“Had we had this before the elections, then the case of the school principals exposed by us should have had much more serious legal consequences,” said Ioannisian.
Varuzhan Hoktanian of the Armenian branch of Transparency International likewise acknowledged the proposed toughening of punishments for election-related abuse of administrative resources. But he questioned the authorities’ commitment to enforce the measure.
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