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DIASPORA ELECTION MONITORS HIT BORDER VILLAGES; REMAIN UPBEAT ABOUT THEIR MISSION
14:45, June 6, 2013
By Aimee Keushguerian
Members of a joint local-Diaspora monitoring team are continuing
with their movement of upholding clean elections, reaching across to
Armenian communities on the border with Turkey.
A group of diasporan observers came away optimistic from a day of
elections on May 5 at precincts 20/1 and 35/1, but still witnessed
a day full of fraud, cheating, and bribery.
Paula Der Matoian has lived in Yerevan for eleven years. After having
volunteered for the past election in Yerevan, she was excited to
volunteer again as an observer at the Akhurik village, at precinct
35/1.
She was only three kilometers from where her family came from. Thus,
she felt like her presence in Armenia, working to uphold the rule of
law and involved in endorsing a clean election process, was somewhat
symbolic, knowing that her forefathers were from the other side of
the border in Turkey.
Paula noticed a lot of similarities between the election of Akhurik
village and the Yerevan elections. She noticed that 20% of the people
constantly entering the room had new passports and were elderly
members. Paula witnessed these elderly members leaving the precinct,
going back home to change their clothing, and returning with a new
passport. "The political parties really want to do something for
Armenia but all the money they are putting into being dishonest and
cheating is setting them back. I see great potential here in Armenia
for developing new industries and it's unfortunate that politicians
are not investing in key areas that can build the economy. If that
were happening, people would vote for them naturally, politicians
would not have to pay off voters."
Nairi Hakhverdi, the second observer at Akhurik felt very bitter about
what was happening at precinct 35/1. She noticed the same things
happening in terms of fraud and cheating that occurred during the
Yerevan election. Unauthorized people were hanging out by the gates.
Younger members not registered to vote were directing people,
guiding them inside, asking them for their voter numbers to see their
passports. At 2pm, there was already a discrepancy with the ballot
numbers. The number of ballots given out did not match the ballots put
in the box. However she still felt confident that things are changing.
"I feel like as a diasporan, I have a lot of ideas and dreams for this
country and it's important to remain positive and try our hardest to
insure that clean elections happen."
Emilia Gordon, a monitor at Precinct 20/1, said she learned a lot about
the morale of Armenians from volunteering at elections. She witnessed
the corruption, the fraud, and how people think they are clever enough
to beat the system. Emilia saw this primarily at Precinct 13/27 in
Yerevan at Erebuni and noted that the elections in Vardanashen seem
to be honest compared to the Yerevan election, which is a good sign.
Her father was from Igdir, which is 21 kilometers from Vardanashen. He
was raised an orphan because his family died in the Genocide. Thus,
Emilia said she felt a little resentment knowing that where her
ancestors lived was supposed to be part of Armenia and it's not. But
she still feels like she is giving back to her country and being a
part of solving corruption, a problem she sees as the most prominent
in Armenia.
Emilia Gordon's sentiments towards Vardanashen's elections being clean
were echoed by Raffi Wartanian, the second monitor at Vardanashen. He
said that there were a few violations like registered voters leaving
the building and re-entering before voting and signing out, but that
nothing major happened.
He commented that the villagers of Vardanashen are very welcoming,
and brought coffee and fruit. However, as a monitor, it is necessary
to not let your guard down. "The most important thing that I have
learned is that the fraud is far more sophisticated than the capacity
of the monitors. If monitoring is going to reach that same level,
there needs to be a lot more people involved, as well as a major push
towards legal and moral reform."
Raffi was born in Baltimore, MD, and attended Armenian school in
Washington DC. Growing up, he always thought Armenia was boring, that
it was not a real place, and it was too much of an abstract concept.
He moved to Armenia August 212 and has been researching the role of the
arts and volunteerism in the development of the Armenian civil society
with a fellowship at AUA. After living here, and helping volunteer
at three previous elections, he was looking forward to invest more of
himself and contribute more to this country. Raffi thinks that it is
very important that Armenians around the world don't feel disconnected
or disillusioned, or that they can't make a change.... that if they
try and help the money they contribute will end up being diverted to
the pockets of someone corrupt. By volunteering in the elections, he
can now say that being physically involved in Armenia can contribute
far more to the country than just sending money from overseas.
"By physically being here, they can contribute more to the integrity
of the rule of law and to the integrity of the people. That is more
valuable than sending money from abroad. But, whatever Armenian
diasporans can contribute here is so valuable because the nation is
crumbling. The infrastructure is crumbling. The borders are closed.
Corruption is pervasive. Coming and being involved with the reality
in this country during a very historical moment and with the
elections in this burgeoning civil society is everything. I really
encourage diasporans to come and get more and more involved with the
electoral process. We are going to have the parliamentary elections,
presidential elections, and other elections again. So there are more
and more opportunities to be involved, to empower people to vote,
and stand up for clean elections so that people can have faith that
their country is not collapsing."
Photos by Scout Tufankjian
http://hetq.am/eng/news/27115/diaspora-election-monitors-hit-border-villages;-remain-upbeat-about-their-mission.html
14:45, June 6, 2013
By Aimee Keushguerian
Members of a joint local-Diaspora monitoring team are continuing
with their movement of upholding clean elections, reaching across to
Armenian communities on the border with Turkey.
A group of diasporan observers came away optimistic from a day of
elections on May 5 at precincts 20/1 and 35/1, but still witnessed
a day full of fraud, cheating, and bribery.
Paula Der Matoian has lived in Yerevan for eleven years. After having
volunteered for the past election in Yerevan, she was excited to
volunteer again as an observer at the Akhurik village, at precinct
35/1.
She was only three kilometers from where her family came from. Thus,
she felt like her presence in Armenia, working to uphold the rule of
law and involved in endorsing a clean election process, was somewhat
symbolic, knowing that her forefathers were from the other side of
the border in Turkey.
Paula noticed a lot of similarities between the election of Akhurik
village and the Yerevan elections. She noticed that 20% of the people
constantly entering the room had new passports and were elderly
members. Paula witnessed these elderly members leaving the precinct,
going back home to change their clothing, and returning with a new
passport. "The political parties really want to do something for
Armenia but all the money they are putting into being dishonest and
cheating is setting them back. I see great potential here in Armenia
for developing new industries and it's unfortunate that politicians
are not investing in key areas that can build the economy. If that
were happening, people would vote for them naturally, politicians
would not have to pay off voters."
Nairi Hakhverdi, the second observer at Akhurik felt very bitter about
what was happening at precinct 35/1. She noticed the same things
happening in terms of fraud and cheating that occurred during the
Yerevan election. Unauthorized people were hanging out by the gates.
Younger members not registered to vote were directing people,
guiding them inside, asking them for their voter numbers to see their
passports. At 2pm, there was already a discrepancy with the ballot
numbers. The number of ballots given out did not match the ballots put
in the box. However she still felt confident that things are changing.
"I feel like as a diasporan, I have a lot of ideas and dreams for this
country and it's important to remain positive and try our hardest to
insure that clean elections happen."
Emilia Gordon, a monitor at Precinct 20/1, said she learned a lot about
the morale of Armenians from volunteering at elections. She witnessed
the corruption, the fraud, and how people think they are clever enough
to beat the system. Emilia saw this primarily at Precinct 13/27 in
Yerevan at Erebuni and noted that the elections in Vardanashen seem
to be honest compared to the Yerevan election, which is a good sign.
Her father was from Igdir, which is 21 kilometers from Vardanashen. He
was raised an orphan because his family died in the Genocide. Thus,
Emilia said she felt a little resentment knowing that where her
ancestors lived was supposed to be part of Armenia and it's not. But
she still feels like she is giving back to her country and being a
part of solving corruption, a problem she sees as the most prominent
in Armenia.
Emilia Gordon's sentiments towards Vardanashen's elections being clean
were echoed by Raffi Wartanian, the second monitor at Vardanashen. He
said that there were a few violations like registered voters leaving
the building and re-entering before voting and signing out, but that
nothing major happened.
He commented that the villagers of Vardanashen are very welcoming,
and brought coffee and fruit. However, as a monitor, it is necessary
to not let your guard down. "The most important thing that I have
learned is that the fraud is far more sophisticated than the capacity
of the monitors. If monitoring is going to reach that same level,
there needs to be a lot more people involved, as well as a major push
towards legal and moral reform."
Raffi was born in Baltimore, MD, and attended Armenian school in
Washington DC. Growing up, he always thought Armenia was boring, that
it was not a real place, and it was too much of an abstract concept.
He moved to Armenia August 212 and has been researching the role of the
arts and volunteerism in the development of the Armenian civil society
with a fellowship at AUA. After living here, and helping volunteer
at three previous elections, he was looking forward to invest more of
himself and contribute more to this country. Raffi thinks that it is
very important that Armenians around the world don't feel disconnected
or disillusioned, or that they can't make a change.... that if they
try and help the money they contribute will end up being diverted to
the pockets of someone corrupt. By volunteering in the elections, he
can now say that being physically involved in Armenia can contribute
far more to the country than just sending money from overseas.
"By physically being here, they can contribute more to the integrity
of the rule of law and to the integrity of the people. That is more
valuable than sending money from abroad. But, whatever Armenian
diasporans can contribute here is so valuable because the nation is
crumbling. The infrastructure is crumbling. The borders are closed.
Corruption is pervasive. Coming and being involved with the reality
in this country during a very historical moment and with the
elections in this burgeoning civil society is everything. I really
encourage diasporans to come and get more and more involved with the
electoral process. We are going to have the parliamentary elections,
presidential elections, and other elections again. So there are more
and more opportunities to be involved, to empower people to vote,
and stand up for clean elections so that people can have faith that
their country is not collapsing."
Photos by Scout Tufankjian
http://hetq.am/eng/news/27115/diaspora-election-monitors-hit-border-villages;-remain-upbeat-about-their-mission.html