A new type of ink will be used in the February 18 presidential election, as announced Tuesday by the Central Election Commission — one that is hoped to perform better than the type that was used in last May’s parliamentary elections that resulted in charges of fraud, as the ink evaporated long before its intended duration. The ink, applied into passports of participating voters, is meant to prevent repeated voting. While it is hoped that the new ink will fulfill its aim, at least one member of the ICES monitoring mission has urged Armenia to abandon the practice in favor of more modern methodology.
“We were impressed by the determination of the Armenian Central Electoral Commission to hold presidential elections with as few violations as possible,” said one of the members of the ICES.
“Using the new ink is a step in the right direction. I hope that in the future Armenia will weigh up possibility of abandoning use of the ink in the elections, as most of the developed countries do. There are other, more advanced methods, which should be studied and integrated,” said observe Baruch Ben Neria