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Heritage opposition party statement on Feb 19 presidential election in
Armenia
2008-03-01 10:02:00
ArmInfo. The Armenian presidential elections, held on February 19,
2008, became the culmination point for the most severe violations of
the law that were ever committed throughout the tenure of today's
authorities and, within the short track record of our independent
statehood, they turned into a new and a deep sore inside the souls
of the country's freedom-loving people.
While carrying out their societal and civic duties and an
official commitment on the day of the elections, numerous
Armenian citizens-among them three members of the Heritage Party's
parliamentary group, many members of election commissions, journalists
from independent news media, proxies of opposition candidates, and
ordinary voters-became the targets of countless assaults, and their
right to make a political choice was violated in a variety ways.
The incumbent authorities responded to the people's post-election
resistance-waged against voting fraud and law infringements-by means
of one-sided and biased propaganda disseminated by the media which are
under their control and subsequently through the patent politically
motivated arrests. We confirm, with deep regret, that the number
of political prisoners in Armenia has grown and reached alarming
dimensions. Another matter of concern is the fact that on the day
following the elections, the members of the OSCE/PACE observation
mission attempted in their turn to legitimize, with a preliminary
announcement, the results that were made public by the Central Election
Commission which has silently encouraged the permissiveness carried out
under the guise of "presidential elections" and which has practically
coordinated the entire process of voting abuse. With its announcement,
the aforesaid mission has deepened the Armenian public's distrust not
solely toward the electoral process, but also toward the international
community and the progressive international associations, which now
are gearing double standards for the second year in a row.
Heritage has exerted great efforts to create, by way of legislative
improvements, favorable reconditions for conducting free and fair
elections, to secure political union and national unity in the
preelection season, to endorse the rule of law at the election
commissions, and to launch public oversight on the day of the
elections. Unfortunately, the authorities, which have violated the
rights and freedoms of Armenian citizens, yet again are attempting
to crush their own people.
Heritage hereby demands from the ruling powers to put an end to
the political pursuits and to refrain from the use of force against
the peaceful civic gatherings. During this crucial turning point at
Armenia's history, each and every political force, which senses its
responsibility for this situation and is capable of proposing avenues
for resolving it with dignity, must review its course comprehensively
and commence a public-wide dialogue for the sake of the country's
future. One such review could be a just verdict handed down by
the Constitutional Court with respect to the petitions filed by the
former presidential candidates. Heritage expects the court to examine
these petitions by acknowledging its accountability before Armenia's
future and honoring the letter and spirit of the law, and to carry
out an all-inclusive and a thorough examination of the petitions. The
quantity and type of the election fraud and numerous other violations
that occurred in and nearby the voting precincts on the day of the
elections, as well as the shameful incidents that took place while
the ballots were being tallied, indubitably bespeak their systemic
nature, and this reality has caused a broad public distrust toward the
elections and specifically toward the official voting results. We are
full of hope that an impartial decision by the Constitutional Court
would pave for Armenia the way leading to legitimacy, democracy,
and civil rights.
Heritage assures that it will always stand alongside the people and
the truth, and, by defending the fundamental precepts of Armenia's
statehood, it will never back down from its political position as a
systemic opposition.
We therefore call on our members, supporters, and those
citizens who await our say to not succumb to illegality and
injustice, to steadfastly go forward and thus to exercise their
constitutionally-protected rights.
Armenia
2008-03-01 10:02:00
ArmInfo. The Armenian presidential elections, held on February 19,
2008, became the culmination point for the most severe violations of
the law that were ever committed throughout the tenure of today's
authorities and, within the short track record of our independent
statehood, they turned into a new and a deep sore inside the souls
of the country's freedom-loving people.
While carrying out their societal and civic duties and an
official commitment on the day of the elections, numerous
Armenian citizens-among them three members of the Heritage Party's
parliamentary group, many members of election commissions, journalists
from independent news media, proxies of opposition candidates, and
ordinary voters-became the targets of countless assaults, and their
right to make a political choice was violated in a variety ways.
The incumbent authorities responded to the people's post-election
resistance-waged against voting fraud and law infringements-by means
of one-sided and biased propaganda disseminated by the media which are
under their control and subsequently through the patent politically
motivated arrests. We confirm, with deep regret, that the number
of political prisoners in Armenia has grown and reached alarming
dimensions. Another matter of concern is the fact that on the day
following the elections, the members of the OSCE/PACE observation
mission attempted in their turn to legitimize, with a preliminary
announcement, the results that were made public by the Central Election
Commission which has silently encouraged the permissiveness carried out
under the guise of "presidential elections" and which has practically
coordinated the entire process of voting abuse. With its announcement,
the aforesaid mission has deepened the Armenian public's distrust not
solely toward the electoral process, but also toward the international
community and the progressive international associations, which now
are gearing double standards for the second year in a row.
Heritage has exerted great efforts to create, by way of legislative
improvements, favorable reconditions for conducting free and fair
elections, to secure political union and national unity in the
preelection season, to endorse the rule of law at the election
commissions, and to launch public oversight on the day of the
elections. Unfortunately, the authorities, which have violated the
rights and freedoms of Armenian citizens, yet again are attempting
to crush their own people.
Heritage hereby demands from the ruling powers to put an end to
the political pursuits and to refrain from the use of force against
the peaceful civic gatherings. During this crucial turning point at
Armenia's history, each and every political force, which senses its
responsibility for this situation and is capable of proposing avenues
for resolving it with dignity, must review its course comprehensively
and commence a public-wide dialogue for the sake of the country's
future. One such review could be a just verdict handed down by
the Constitutional Court with respect to the petitions filed by the
former presidential candidates. Heritage expects the court to examine
these petitions by acknowledging its accountability before Armenia's
future and honoring the letter and spirit of the law, and to carry
out an all-inclusive and a thorough examination of the petitions. The
quantity and type of the election fraud and numerous other violations
that occurred in and nearby the voting precincts on the day of the
elections, as well as the shameful incidents that took place while
the ballots were being tallied, indubitably bespeak their systemic
nature, and this reality has caused a broad public distrust toward the
elections and specifically toward the official voting results. We are
full of hope that an impartial decision by the Constitutional Court
would pave for Armenia the way leading to legitimacy, democracy,
and civil rights.
Heritage assures that it will always stand alongside the people and
the truth, and, by defending the fundamental precepts of Armenia's
statehood, it will never back down from its political position as a
systemic opposition.
We therefore call on our members, supporters, and those
citizens who await our say to not succumb to illegality and
injustice, to steadfastly go forward and thus to exercise their
constitutionally-protected rights.