MOST REPORTS ABOUT VOTE BUYING AHEAD OF ARMENIA'S PRESIDENTIAL POLLS NOT CONFIRMED - POLICE
ITAR-TASS, Russia
February 17, 2013 Sunday 11:08 PM GMT+4
- Most of reports about vote buying ahead of Armenia's presidential
palls have not been confirmed, a police spokesman said on Sunday.
"In the recent days, a number of mass media and social networks have
been disseminating reports about vote buying in various settlements
of the republic," the spokesman said. "The police are taking prompt
steps to verify such information."
"The checks held within the legal procedures have proved that reports
about vote buying were nothing more than mere rumors or assumptions,"
the spokesman stressed.
"Some of such reports were of such a general nature that had no
reasonable information about exact facts or people," the spokesman
went on. "In a number of cases, people who reported about violations
refused to provide materials to prove their allegations or collaborate
with the police."
"In any case, the Armenian police will continue to do its best to
ensure the lawfulness of the election process and hope for cooperation
from individuals, mass media, public organizations and political
parties," the spokesman added.
Armenia will elect its president on February 18. It will be the sixth
presidential elections since Armenia gained independence. A law on
institution of the president's office was passed in June 1991.
The ballot papers carry the names of 7 candidates. They include
Armenia's incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan, the leader of the
ruling Republican Party of Armenia, who is hot favorite to win the
elections; Grant Bagratyan, the prime minister of Armenia in 1993-1996,
who is now a deputy of the Armenian parliament and the leader of an
non-influential opposition Svoboda (Freedom) party; the former U.S.
citizen Raffi Ovanesyan, the head of the Naslediye (Heritage)
opposition party; ex-dissident Paruyr Hayrikyan, who spent about 18
years in Soviet prisons, labor camps and exiles.
From: A. Papazian
ITAR-TASS, Russia
February 17, 2013 Sunday 11:08 PM GMT+4
- Most of reports about vote buying ahead of Armenia's presidential
palls have not been confirmed, a police spokesman said on Sunday.
"In the recent days, a number of mass media and social networks have
been disseminating reports about vote buying in various settlements
of the republic," the spokesman said. "The police are taking prompt
steps to verify such information."
"The checks held within the legal procedures have proved that reports
about vote buying were nothing more than mere rumors or assumptions,"
the spokesman stressed.
"Some of such reports were of such a general nature that had no
reasonable information about exact facts or people," the spokesman
went on. "In a number of cases, people who reported about violations
refused to provide materials to prove their allegations or collaborate
with the police."
"In any case, the Armenian police will continue to do its best to
ensure the lawfulness of the election process and hope for cooperation
from individuals, mass media, public organizations and political
parties," the spokesman added.
Armenia will elect its president on February 18. It will be the sixth
presidential elections since Armenia gained independence. A law on
institution of the president's office was passed in June 1991.
The ballot papers carry the names of 7 candidates. They include
Armenia's incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan, the leader of the
ruling Republican Party of Armenia, who is hot favorite to win the
elections; Grant Bagratyan, the prime minister of Armenia in 1993-1996,
who is now a deputy of the Armenian parliament and the leader of an
non-influential opposition Svoboda (Freedom) party; the former U.S.
citizen Raffi Ovanesyan, the head of the Naslediye (Heritage)
opposition party; ex-dissident Paruyr Hayrikyan, who spent about 18
years in Soviet prisons, labor camps and exiles.
From: A. Papazian