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Global Insight
May 3, 2012
Election 2012: Armenian Opposition Parties Unite to Prevent Fraud in
Upcoming Legislative Vote
BYLINE: Lilit Gevorgyan
Armenia is holding legislative elections on 6 May in what thus far has
been the liveliest and transparent election campaign in recent
decades. A number of opposition parties have signed a document
promising to work together against electoral fraud. However, the
senior ruling coalition Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) of President
Serzh Sargsyan has proposed an alternative to this pact. He suggested
the creation of a multiparty working group, but none of the opposition
parties have thus far agreed to this arrangement. Representatives of
Prosperous Armenia (BH), which is one of the junior coalition parties;
the Armenian National Congress (HAK) led by former president Levon
Ter-Petrossian, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutiun
(HHD), and the Zharangutiun (Heritage) party all joined the deal.
However, Heritage pulled out after BH refused its demands to
explicitly denounce vote-buying.
Significance:Both the Armenian government and the opposition realise
that holding free and democratic elections and having a democratically
elected government is political capital. Moreover, given a number of
external security issues that the country faces it cannot afford
having massive election fraud and antagonised relations between the
opposition and the government, as seen after the 2008 presidential
elections. The current campaign has indeed been much more open both in
public space and media with more active involvement of voters,
especially the younger voters. Unlike many other former Soviet states,
there are well developed political parties offering different
political platforms. That said the issue of vote-buying and using
administrative resources remain a problem especially in the regions.
The positive news is that the split in the ruling bloc for the first
time offers an opportunity for Armenian voters to bring in a much more
diverse coalition government.
From: A. Papazian
May 3, 2012
Election 2012: Armenian Opposition Parties Unite to Prevent Fraud in
Upcoming Legislative Vote
BYLINE: Lilit Gevorgyan
Armenia is holding legislative elections on 6 May in what thus far has
been the liveliest and transparent election campaign in recent
decades. A number of opposition parties have signed a document
promising to work together against electoral fraud. However, the
senior ruling coalition Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) of President
Serzh Sargsyan has proposed an alternative to this pact. He suggested
the creation of a multiparty working group, but none of the opposition
parties have thus far agreed to this arrangement. Representatives of
Prosperous Armenia (BH), which is one of the junior coalition parties;
the Armenian National Congress (HAK) led by former president Levon
Ter-Petrossian, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutiun
(HHD), and the Zharangutiun (Heritage) party all joined the deal.
However, Heritage pulled out after BH refused its demands to
explicitly denounce vote-buying.
Significance:Both the Armenian government and the opposition realise
that holding free and democratic elections and having a democratically
elected government is political capital. Moreover, given a number of
external security issues that the country faces it cannot afford
having massive election fraud and antagonised relations between the
opposition and the government, as seen after the 2008 presidential
elections. The current campaign has indeed been much more open both in
public space and media with more active involvement of voters,
especially the younger voters. Unlike many other former Soviet states,
there are well developed political parties offering different
political platforms. That said the issue of vote-buying and using
administrative resources remain a problem especially in the regions.
The positive news is that the split in the ruling bloc for the first
time offers an opportunity for Armenian voters to bring in a much more
diverse coalition government.
From: A. Papazian