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ARMENIANS RE-ELECT THEIR PRESIDENT, DEBATE LEVEL OF FRAUD
Voice of America
Feb 19 2013
YEREVAN, ARMENIA - As Armenians debated their presidential election,
European observers gave cautious endorsements to the Monday vote that
re-elected President Serzh Sargsyan.
"This election showed improvement, but lacked genuine competition,"
said Tonino Picula, head of the parliamentary observer team of the
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.
More encouraging words came from Karin Woldseth, leader of observers
from the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly.
"Armenia is on the right track to fulfill their obligations as
a new democratic country in Europe," said Woldseth, a Norwegian
parliamentarian.
Then protesters stormed the press conference.
"You're legitimizing an illegal vote by your declarations!" shouted
one protester, Artur Minasian.
By the official count, the President won 59 percent of the vote. His
closest rival, U.S.-born former Foreign Minister Raffi Hovhannisyan,
won 37 percent.
On Tuesday, people in Yerevan debated this question: was the fraud
big enough to cover a gap of 22 percentage points?
Yes, said opposition candidate Hovhannisyan who addressed hundreds
of supporters gathered on Liberty Square.
"The voting results do not reflect the Armenian citizens' will,"
Hovannisyan said. "The elections involved mass irregularities. I am
the president-elect of Armenia."
He gave Mr. Sargsyan until Wednesday to concede defeat. He promised
another rally that day.
'Rampant violations'
Hovhannisyan supporters said they have hundreds of reports of illegal
ballot stuffing or fraudulent ballot counting.
Sara Anjargolian, a lawyer at the rally, said she read reports of
voting violations on Facebook pages of human rights groups, then
went to Hovhannisyan's headquarters to read reports coming in from
voting stations.
"There were rampant violations - everything from ballot stuffing,
and not one or two, but hundreds and hundreds and hundreds that were
being stuffed for the sitting president," she said. "And intimidation.
Everything under the sun."
But Eduard Sharmazanov, spokesman for Mr. Sargsyan's ruling Republican
Party, called the vote "the best in the history of independent
Armenia."
Political analysts noted that last May, the Republican Party won
52 percent of seats in Armenia's parliament. More recently, all
pre-election polls indicated that voters heavily favored President
Sargsyan. After polls closed Monday night, a Gallup exit poll gave the
president 58 percent of votes cast. On Tuesday morning, the Central
Elections Commission gave him 58.64 percent.
Moscow approves
On Tuesday, the clearest election endorsement came from Armenia's
closest ally, Russia.
Sergei Lebedev, a former director of Russia's Foreign Intelligence
Service, headed a team of observers sent here from other former
Soviet nations.
"Some minor irregularities that were spotted could not have affected
the overall results of the presidential election," Lebedev said.
Armenia's presidential election "fully meets generally recognized
international norms and national electoral law," he said.
Lebedev said violations were spotted but not enough to affect the
overall results of the presidential election. He concluded that
Armenia's election fully meets generally recognized international law.
Russia maintains 5,000 troops in Armenia. On Tuesday, Russian President
Vladimir Putin telephoned President Sargsyan to congratulate him on
his reelection.
http://www.voanews.com/content/armenian-president-reelected/1606349.html
Voice of America
Feb 19 2013
YEREVAN, ARMENIA - As Armenians debated their presidential election,
European observers gave cautious endorsements to the Monday vote that
re-elected President Serzh Sargsyan.
"This election showed improvement, but lacked genuine competition,"
said Tonino Picula, head of the parliamentary observer team of the
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.
More encouraging words came from Karin Woldseth, leader of observers
from the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly.
"Armenia is on the right track to fulfill their obligations as
a new democratic country in Europe," said Woldseth, a Norwegian
parliamentarian.
Then protesters stormed the press conference.
"You're legitimizing an illegal vote by your declarations!" shouted
one protester, Artur Minasian.
By the official count, the President won 59 percent of the vote. His
closest rival, U.S.-born former Foreign Minister Raffi Hovhannisyan,
won 37 percent.
On Tuesday, people in Yerevan debated this question: was the fraud
big enough to cover a gap of 22 percentage points?
Yes, said opposition candidate Hovhannisyan who addressed hundreds
of supporters gathered on Liberty Square.
"The voting results do not reflect the Armenian citizens' will,"
Hovannisyan said. "The elections involved mass irregularities. I am
the president-elect of Armenia."
He gave Mr. Sargsyan until Wednesday to concede defeat. He promised
another rally that day.
'Rampant violations'
Hovhannisyan supporters said they have hundreds of reports of illegal
ballot stuffing or fraudulent ballot counting.
Sara Anjargolian, a lawyer at the rally, said she read reports of
voting violations on Facebook pages of human rights groups, then
went to Hovhannisyan's headquarters to read reports coming in from
voting stations.
"There were rampant violations - everything from ballot stuffing,
and not one or two, but hundreds and hundreds and hundreds that were
being stuffed for the sitting president," she said. "And intimidation.
Everything under the sun."
But Eduard Sharmazanov, spokesman for Mr. Sargsyan's ruling Republican
Party, called the vote "the best in the history of independent
Armenia."
Political analysts noted that last May, the Republican Party won
52 percent of seats in Armenia's parliament. More recently, all
pre-election polls indicated that voters heavily favored President
Sargsyan. After polls closed Monday night, a Gallup exit poll gave the
president 58 percent of votes cast. On Tuesday morning, the Central
Elections Commission gave him 58.64 percent.
Moscow approves
On Tuesday, the clearest election endorsement came from Armenia's
closest ally, Russia.
Sergei Lebedev, a former director of Russia's Foreign Intelligence
Service, headed a team of observers sent here from other former
Soviet nations.
"Some minor irregularities that were spotted could not have affected
the overall results of the presidential election," Lebedev said.
Armenia's presidential election "fully meets generally recognized
international norms and national electoral law," he said.
Lebedev said violations were spotted but not enough to affect the
overall results of the presidential election. He concluded that
Armenia's election fully meets generally recognized international law.
Russia maintains 5,000 troops in Armenia. On Tuesday, Russian President
Vladimir Putin telephoned President Sargsyan to congratulate him on
his reelection.
http://www.voanews.com/content/armenian-president-reelected/1606349.html