Tweet
MONITORS GIVE ARMENIAN ELECTION MIXED MARKS
Voice of America
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/europe/Monitors-Give-Armenian-Election-Mixed-Marks-150434465.html
May 7 2012
International monitors have praised Sunday's elections in Armenia
as competitive and peaceful, but criticized violations they say
undermined the vote, including pressure on voters and an inadequate
complaints process.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said Monday
that Armenia deserves recognition for its electoral reforms and its
open and peaceful campaign. But OSCE observers said the sound legal
framework under which the vote was held was marred by irregularities
where stakeholders failed to comply with the law and election
commissions failed to enforce it.
Results released Monday show Armenian President Serzh Sarkisyan's
ruling party won a majority of seats in Sunday's parliamentary
elections.
Armenia's Central Election Commission said Sarkisyan's Republican
Party took 44 percent of the vote, with former coalition partner,
the Prosperous Armenia party, coming in second with 30 percent.
The opposition Armenian National Congress, led by former president
Levon Ter-Petrosian, finished a distant third.
The parliamentary campaigns centered on unemployment, poverty and
Armenia's long-running disputes with neighbors Turkey and Azerbaijan.
A disputed presidential poll in 2008 sparked deadly clashes between
police and protesters.
From: A. Papazian
Voice of America
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/europe/Monitors-Give-Armenian-Election-Mixed-Marks-150434465.html
May 7 2012
International monitors have praised Sunday's elections in Armenia
as competitive and peaceful, but criticized violations they say
undermined the vote, including pressure on voters and an inadequate
complaints process.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said Monday
that Armenia deserves recognition for its electoral reforms and its
open and peaceful campaign. But OSCE observers said the sound legal
framework under which the vote was held was marred by irregularities
where stakeholders failed to comply with the law and election
commissions failed to enforce it.
Results released Monday show Armenian President Serzh Sarkisyan's
ruling party won a majority of seats in Sunday's parliamentary
elections.
Armenia's Central Election Commission said Sarkisyan's Republican
Party took 44 percent of the vote, with former coalition partner,
the Prosperous Armenia party, coming in second with 30 percent.
The opposition Armenian National Congress, led by former president
Levon Ter-Petrosian, finished a distant third.
The parliamentary campaigns centered on unemployment, poverty and
Armenia's long-running disputes with neighbors Turkey and Azerbaijan.
A disputed presidential poll in 2008 sparked deadly clashes between
police and protesters.
From: A. Papazian