VZCZCXRO8507
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHYE #0197 0671245
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 071245Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY YEREVAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7145
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE PRIORITY 0550
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 0581
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA PRIORITY 0081

UNCLAS YEREVAN 000197 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/CARC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL KDEM AM
SUBJECT: ARMENIA:  OSCE POST-ELECTION WORKING GROUP MEETING 
 
¶1.  (SBU) On March 3, 2008 embassy officers attended the 
first OSCE Post-Election Working Group (PEWG) meeting hosted 
by OSCE Deputy Head of Mission Mark Bojanic.  Present were 
representatives of the European Commission, several 
diplomatic missions, and a number of NGOs and civil society 
groups.  No representatives from the OSCE/ODIHR Election 
Observation Mission (EOM) attended.  Bojanic opened the floor 
with a request for comments as to how the international 
community in partnership with NGOs could forge ahead with a 
common strategy to alleviate the current political impasse 
between the Armenian government and opposition forces 
supporting former President Levon Ter-Petrossian. 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  Most of the working group participants expressed 
dissatisfaction with the overall performance of ODIHR's EOM 
and in particular with ODIHR's preliminary election statement 
February 20.  (NOTE: Technically, this was the statement of 
the combined International Election Observation Mission -- 
ODIHR, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Parliamentary Assembly of 
the Council of Europe (PACE), and the European Parliament -- 
but this subtlety was lost on the working group, as indeed it 
has been lost on the Armenian public. END NOTE).  The primary 
point of contention was the report's use of the words "mostly 
in line" to describe Armenia's adherence to democratic 
election standards.  Many of the participants also pointed 
out that issuing a report that relegated serious election 
concerns to the end of the report sent the wrong message to 
the Armenian government and perhaps undermined international 
efforts to promote democracy in the country.  As evidence of 
this, one participant pointed out that the Armenian 
government had for the first time publicly embraced the ODIHR 
report instead of the usually more positive CIS observer 
mission report issued in past elections. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) In response, Bojanic acknowledged that the language 
used in the ODIHR report was perhaps more diplomatic than 
necessary.  He also pointed out, however, he also pointed out 
that it reflected the legitimate observations of election 
observers present at the time.  In addition, Bojanic cited 
the difficulty of composing a joint (PACE/OSCE PA/European 
Parliament/ODIHR) press statement with such little turnaround 
time as a reason for the somewhat ambiguous, flat 
presentation to the press.  Bojanic and other OSCE 
representatives noted that the report and subsequent press 
statement were a result of the consensus opinion of the OSCE 
member countries, some of whom would not like to see ODIHR 
involved in election observing at all.  (NOTE:  We have 
indications privately from the ODIHR EOM that they had pushed 
for the statement to read "partly in line" with standards, 
but the parliamentary delegations pushed for the more 
positive "mostly in line" statement.  END NOTE). 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Participants were concerned that the current state 
of emergency could turn into a witch-hunt, in which President 
Kocharian and Prime Minister Sargsian would arrest their 
political opponent.  On the issue of a common post-election 
strategy, general consensus was reached on the need to apply 
pressure on the government to reestablish freedom of press 
and respect for human rights.  General agreement was also 
expressed on urging the Armenian government to fully 
investigate all reports of violence and excessive use of 
force, including full disclosure of the alleged discovery of 
a weapons cache at Opera Square on the morning of March 1. 
PENNINGTON