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ARMENIAN PRESIDENT ESCAPES DEFEAT, PARTY AHEAD IN ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS
Financial Mirror
May 6, 2012 Sunday
President Serzh Sarksyan's Republican Party will keep its grip on power
after a parliamentary election in Armenia on Sunday, final results of
an exit poll showed after voting ended in the South Caucasus country.
The exit poll released by Gallup International Association put the
party on course to win more than 43% of the votes in an election that
passed off without any of the violence that marred the last national
poll in 2008.
Its main partner in the previous coalition, the Prosperous Armenia
party led by businessman Gagik Tsarukyan, was in second place on more
than 29% of the votes, it showed.
The Central Election Commission was expected to start receiving initial
results from polling stations across the country of 3.3 million by
midnight. Turnout exceeded 62% of eligible voters, it said.
Many voters and Armenian leaders had hoped the election would be a
landmark for democracy after voting irregularities marred the last
parliamentary election in 2007 and clashes killed 10 people after
the presidential vote in 2008.
More than 300 international observers from the Organisation for
Security and Cooperation in Europe monitored voting and will give
their initial verdict on Monday.
One observer said privately there had been some violations, but it
was not clear how widespread or serious they were.
Ink stamps on the passports of people who had already voted had
disappeared within 15 minutes, giving them the chance to vote again,
the observer, who did not want to be named, said, citing several
such reports.
The exit poll suggested three parties apart from the big two, were
likely to win the 5% of votes needed to enter parliament in the former
Soviet republic.
The Armenian National Congress, an opposition coalition led by former
President Levon Ter-Petrosyan, might also cross the 7% threshold set
for blocs of parties to win seats, it showed.
There were no reports of violence, an encouraging sign for a country
that wants stability to boost the economy, devastated by a war with
neighbouring Azerbaijan in the 1990s and then the 2008-2009 global
financial crisis.
Voters trickling to the polls in bright sunshine hoped the election
would be a landmark for democracy after criticism by international
observers over Armenia's elections since the end of communist rule.
The parties made social problems and economic issues the main issues of
an election campaign that was unusually active for Armenia, Russia's
main ally in the South Caucasus.
There were no major differences in their economic programmes,
which call for more active development of domestic industry and
continuation of cooperation with Russia as well as international
financial organisations.
A blast at a campaign rally injured about 150 people on Friday,
briefly raising fears of violence, but emergency officials said it
was caused by gas-filled balloons exploding.
Although a ceasefire was reached in 1994, its conflict with Azerbaijan
over the tiny Nagorno-Karabakh region remains unresolved and a threat
to stability.
Relations with neighbour, Turkey, are also fraught because Ankara
does not recognise the killing of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey during
World War One as genocide.
Financial Mirror
May 6, 2012 Sunday
President Serzh Sarksyan's Republican Party will keep its grip on power
after a parliamentary election in Armenia on Sunday, final results of
an exit poll showed after voting ended in the South Caucasus country.
The exit poll released by Gallup International Association put the
party on course to win more than 43% of the votes in an election that
passed off without any of the violence that marred the last national
poll in 2008.
Its main partner in the previous coalition, the Prosperous Armenia
party led by businessman Gagik Tsarukyan, was in second place on more
than 29% of the votes, it showed.
The Central Election Commission was expected to start receiving initial
results from polling stations across the country of 3.3 million by
midnight. Turnout exceeded 62% of eligible voters, it said.
Many voters and Armenian leaders had hoped the election would be a
landmark for democracy after voting irregularities marred the last
parliamentary election in 2007 and clashes killed 10 people after
the presidential vote in 2008.
More than 300 international observers from the Organisation for
Security and Cooperation in Europe monitored voting and will give
their initial verdict on Monday.
One observer said privately there had been some violations, but it
was not clear how widespread or serious they were.
Ink stamps on the passports of people who had already voted had
disappeared within 15 minutes, giving them the chance to vote again,
the observer, who did not want to be named, said, citing several
such reports.
The exit poll suggested three parties apart from the big two, were
likely to win the 5% of votes needed to enter parliament in the former
Soviet republic.
The Armenian National Congress, an opposition coalition led by former
President Levon Ter-Petrosyan, might also cross the 7% threshold set
for blocs of parties to win seats, it showed.
There were no reports of violence, an encouraging sign for a country
that wants stability to boost the economy, devastated by a war with
neighbouring Azerbaijan in the 1990s and then the 2008-2009 global
financial crisis.
Voters trickling to the polls in bright sunshine hoped the election
would be a landmark for democracy after criticism by international
observers over Armenia's elections since the end of communist rule.
The parties made social problems and economic issues the main issues of
an election campaign that was unusually active for Armenia, Russia's
main ally in the South Caucasus.
There were no major differences in their economic programmes,
which call for more active development of domestic industry and
continuation of cooperation with Russia as well as international
financial organisations.
A blast at a campaign rally injured about 150 people on Friday,
briefly raising fears of violence, but emergency officials said it
was caused by gas-filled balloons exploding.
Although a ceasefire was reached in 1994, its conflict with Azerbaijan
over the tiny Nagorno-Karabakh region remains unresolved and a threat
to stability.
Relations with neighbour, Turkey, are also fraught because Ankara
does not recognise the killing of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey during
World War One as genocide.