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Vote 2012: PAP facing bribery charges, no police action against RPA
despite multiple complaints
Election Day | 06.05.12 | 18:19
NAZIK ARMENAKYAN
ArmeniaNow
By Gayane Abrahamyan
ArmeniaNow reporter
topic or containing slander or offensive language will be deleted. You
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The Armenian Prosecutor-General's Office reports that three criminal
cases have been filed for election bribes distribution.
Details of two of the cases were reported on the website of that office.
According to spokeswoman of the Prosecutor-General's Office Sona
Truzyan, one case has been filed based on reports received from
electoral precinct No. 12 in the Shengavit district. Since morning
single-mandate candidate of the district, journalist Gohar Veziryan,
had been complaining that the supporters of her rival, Prosperous
Armenia Party (PAP)-backed Lyova Khachatryan were distributing
election bribes.
Another case was filed in Arabkir administrative district, where Armen
Matevosyan, being accused of distributing bribes for PAP at polling
precinct 4/27, was detained. A notebook with voters' names and 380,000
drams (a bit less than $1,000) was found with him.
Despite different public and party allegations on election bribes
given for Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), as of now the Police have
not reported any action against the party. PAP representatives allege
that the lack of investigation into those charges `is a specially
oriented attitude.'
`These are ill-natured actions against us. We will clarify everything
and will prove that there are no such things,' head of PAP
headquarters Naira Zohrabyan told ArmeniaNow.
The criminal cases are filed under the `Breaching the Confidentiality
of Ballot' article of the Criminal Code of Armenia, punishable with a
fine in the amount of 200,000 drams (more than $500), or imprisonment
for 3-5 years.
According to mass media reports, an extraordinary incident has been
registered in the town of Masis, Ararat province, where a woman
received 500,000 drams (about $510) from a party headquarters to
distribute the money among people asking to vote for the party.
However, she refused to distribute the sum, and people started to
rough her up and demand the election bribe as promised before.
ArmeniaNow journalist reports from two polling stations of electoral
district #12, which includes Erebuni and Shengavit administrative
districts, that the situation there is rather tense.
Cars with no license plates parked at polling precincts 12/34 and
12/37, as drivers of the vehicles watched who was coming and going in
a way that might be seen as intimidating. Meanwhile, a few women went
walking in the polling station, giving instructions to voters: `On the
white paper you must choose number 7 [RPA's number] and on the colored
paper you must choose number 4 [a single-mandate candidate].'
Emma Hovhannisyan, the proxy of Heritage Party's candidate Anahit
Bakhshyan, who is nominated in the same electoral district, says that
`the pressures made by the instruction-giving women and the turf guys
are rather disturbing.'
The Hot Line of the Human Rights Defender's Office received 151 calls
about election violations.
despite multiple complaints
Election Day | 06.05.12 | 18:19
NAZIK ARMENAKYAN
ArmeniaNow
By Gayane Abrahamyan
ArmeniaNow reporter
topic or containing slander or offensive language will be deleted. You
have to be registered to be able leave your comment. Sign in or
Register now for free.
The Armenian Prosecutor-General's Office reports that three criminal
cases have been filed for election bribes distribution.
Details of two of the cases were reported on the website of that office.
According to spokeswoman of the Prosecutor-General's Office Sona
Truzyan, one case has been filed based on reports received from
electoral precinct No. 12 in the Shengavit district. Since morning
single-mandate candidate of the district, journalist Gohar Veziryan,
had been complaining that the supporters of her rival, Prosperous
Armenia Party (PAP)-backed Lyova Khachatryan were distributing
election bribes.
Another case was filed in Arabkir administrative district, where Armen
Matevosyan, being accused of distributing bribes for PAP at polling
precinct 4/27, was detained. A notebook with voters' names and 380,000
drams (a bit less than $1,000) was found with him.
Despite different public and party allegations on election bribes
given for Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), as of now the Police have
not reported any action against the party. PAP representatives allege
that the lack of investigation into those charges `is a specially
oriented attitude.'
`These are ill-natured actions against us. We will clarify everything
and will prove that there are no such things,' head of PAP
headquarters Naira Zohrabyan told ArmeniaNow.
The criminal cases are filed under the `Breaching the Confidentiality
of Ballot' article of the Criminal Code of Armenia, punishable with a
fine in the amount of 200,000 drams (more than $500), or imprisonment
for 3-5 years.
According to mass media reports, an extraordinary incident has been
registered in the town of Masis, Ararat province, where a woman
received 500,000 drams (about $510) from a party headquarters to
distribute the money among people asking to vote for the party.
However, she refused to distribute the sum, and people started to
rough her up and demand the election bribe as promised before.
ArmeniaNow journalist reports from two polling stations of electoral
district #12, which includes Erebuni and Shengavit administrative
districts, that the situation there is rather tense.
Cars with no license plates parked at polling precincts 12/34 and
12/37, as drivers of the vehicles watched who was coming and going in
a way that might be seen as intimidating. Meanwhile, a few women went
walking in the polling station, giving instructions to voters: `On the
white paper you must choose number 7 [RPA's number] and on the colored
paper you must choose number 4 [a single-mandate candidate].'
Emma Hovhannisyan, the proxy of Heritage Party's candidate Anahit
Bakhshyan, who is nominated in the same electoral district, says that
`the pressures made by the instruction-giving women and the turf guys
are rather disturbing.'
The Hot Line of the Human Rights Defender's Office received 151 calls
about election violations.