January 10, 2008 - 17:40 AMT
OSCE hopes for fair presidential election in Armenia
The OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) opened an election observation mission today for the presidential election in Armenia on 19 February.

"The mission will consist of 11 core staff based in Yerevan and 28 long-term observers who will be deployed throughout the country on January 15. The mission members will attend all of 1923 polling stations to function in Armenia on the election day," mission head Geert Hinrich Ahrens told a news conference in Yerevan.

"We are hopeful that our mission will produce a preliminary conclusion a day after the election. OSCE's resulting report will be issued two months after the election," he said.