Human Rights Defender on forthcoming elections to the Council of  Elders: It is necessary to eradicate the tendencies aimed at  splitting society

ArmInfo.  The Office of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia disseminates information regarding the position of the Human Rights Defender in connection with the upcoming elections to the Council of Elders of Yerevan.

According to the message received by ArmInfo, the activity of the  Human Rights Defender has a key role for ensuring the implementation  of the electoral law from the point of view of guaranteeing the right  to vote of every citizen. "Due to the exercise of this right,  democratic institutions and the system of governing are being formed  in the country. The more free and impartial the elections are, the  more the citizen's confidence in the structure. The Office of the  Human Rights Defender of Armenia carries out an independent  monitoring of the electoral processes in Yerevan based on the  fundamental principles of impartial and apolitical work. In the  framework of this monitoring, issues were raised that increase the  need for expressing the position of the Human Rights Defender of  Armenia, " the message of the Human Rights Defender's office reads.

At the same time, the Office reminds that during the democratic  processes in Armenia in April-May of the current year, the RA  citizen, through the exercise of the right to express his/her own  will, was able to provide fundamental changes, and the incumbent  Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan played an indispensable role in  ensuring the peaceful nature of the meetings. "These events  undoubtedly increased people's trust in public authorities, which  resulted in important results, including ways to combat electoral  bribes or illegal influence on voters, an imperative to exclude the  involvement of schools and kindergartens in electoral processes, at  the moment complaints concerning police actions related to electoral  processes were significantly reduced, but monitoring provided an  opportunity to identify a number of problems that arose in connection  with the elections to the Council of Elders, for the elimination of  which urgent measures must be taken, otherwise the situation will be  a threat to the whole system of human rights protection, "the Human  Rights Defender office stressed.

The Office emphasizes that there have been recorded trends in the  increase of cases of intolerance, insults and even threats, which are  most clearly expressed in social networks, which in turn negatively  affects the atmosphere of solidarity. At the same time, the Human  Rights Defender notes that there has been a significant increase in  offensive comments made by fake profiles, and these comments are  highlighted by their extreme aggressiveness and intolerance.

The Human Rights Defender also believes that the current situation  makes it difficult for journalists to work, and monitoring has shown  that publications that contain a different opinion or position in the  comments are insulted, and threats are also raised against  journalists. "There was an intolerant attitude towards each other by  some candidates or individual supporters put forward in the  elections, which is expressed through insulting comments or the  dissemination of materials that violate the dignity of the person.  This is also done with the help of information transmitted from  apparently false or anonymous sources. For example, threats and  insulting words addressed to NA MP, candidate for mayor of Yerevan  Naira Zohrabyan riase concerns. Human Rights Defender Office  expresses concerns, including over some of the offensive comments  made by officials of some state institutions on social networks,  which must be immediately checked in order to ensure that the  electoral process is carried out strictly in accordance with the  Constitution and the laws of the Republic of Armenia.  The appeals of  all participants of electoral processes and public figures aimed at  providing an atmosphere of solidarity and excluding intolerance are  extremely important. It is necessary to eradicate the tendencies  aimed at splitting society.  It is especially dangerous when it is  done by public figures. This phenomenon is problematic from the point  of view of the whole system of human rights protection in the  country, "the Human Rights Defender said, once again recalling that  electoral processes should proceed solely in an atmosphere of  tolerance and solidarity.

The Office stressed that the elections to the Council of Elders will  be the first intermediate opportunity for transition to a  qualitatively new stage of democratic development. "These elections  should become a phenomenon that unites the public, makes us more  united and appreciate the achievements we have achieved." Tolerance  and mutual respect are a guarantee of the implementation of the  electoral law and the solidity of the country's legal system designed  to ensure solidarity between generations, "the Human Rights Defender  's office concluded.