On January 17, 2023, the pre-election meeting of the main and alternative members of the civil society faction (CSF) of the Multi-Stakeholder Group (MSG) of the EITI was held with voters at EcoLur press club. Electronic voting will take place online on January 20, which will be followed by the summary of election results and drawing up of minutes. After that, within a week, the names of the elected representatives of EITI MSG CSF will be published and presented to EITI-Armenia Secretariat.
The Electoral Committee received 7 nomination applications, out of which Lala Mkrtchyan, regional representative from "Sarvor" tourism, socio-economic, environmental NGO, submitted a withdrawal application on January 14. Currently, 4 out of 6 candidates are Victoria Burnazyan, Vice President of EcoLur Informational NGO, Lilia Shushanyan from Transparency International Anti-Corruption Center NGO, Nazeli Vardanyan, Director of Armenia Forests NGO, and President of Human Rights Research Center NGO Anahit Simonyan were nominated as the main and alternative members of CSF, whereas Oleg Dulgarian, President of "Center for Community Mobilization and Support" NGO, was nominated in the regional application. Sona Ayvazyan, Executive Director of "Transparency International Anti-Corruption Center" NGO, was nominated as an alternative member only.
The meeting was presided by Chair of Electoral Committee, General Secretary of "Bayazet" NGO Vahram Hoveyan.
Candidates made speeches: Victoria Burnazyan mentioned that "EcoLur" Informational NGO stood at the basis of the formation of the civil society faction, participated in the discussions and decision-making in the entire process of the EITI. "Those years were very intense: a lot of work was done. We have visited all the communities affected by metal mining, presented the EITI process, presented company data, collected recommendations. A number of legislative amendments have been achieved. In the last year, a lot of work was carried out during the development of the strategy project of the mining industry, the faction of the political society read four versions of that huge document and fought for each one to remove the problematic points for the public from that document," she said.
Inga Zarafyan, President of "EcoLur" Informational NGO, journalist Kristina Ter-Matevosyan, Anna Baghdasaryan, President of "Economic Journalists' Club" NGO, Mher Karagyozyan, President of "Public Control" NGO, "Hartak" research center NGO President Gohar Hovhannisyan participated in the meeting, as well as Ashot Mirzoyan, President of "Consumer Support Center" NGO, Natalya Osyan and Sona Khlopuzyan, employees of " Center of Community Mobilization and Support" NGO, whereas Arthur Vardazaryan, President of "New Horizons" NGO, was taking part online.
January 19, 2023 at 13:48