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ARMENIA: A TOTAL CONTROL POLICY
Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Nov 13 2013
13 November 2013 - 12:29pm
Susanna Petrosyan, Yerevan. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza
The candidate from the ruling Republican Party of Armenis, Ayk Aykyan,
won the early municipal elections in the Armenian town of Ararat on
November 10th. He was ahead of his rival, the candidate from Prosperous
Armenia, Samvel Barsegyan.
The election campaign was typical. None of requests by PA on holding a
meeting on the central square of the town was satisfied. The municipal
administration explained its rejections by scheduled sporting and
cultural events. However, no events took place, but the candidate
from PA had to conduct meetings with voters in yards.
An enormous amount of policemen, including representatives of special
task forces, could be seen near voting stations. Almost everywhere
voters had to stand in queues. In the first half of the day the police
arrested 10 envoys of the PA candidate, while PA's team registered
a lot of irregularities such as bribery and a new know-how - owners
didn't know voting citizens who were registered in their apartments.
The voter turnout was fantastically big - 67% of voters came
to voting stations. However, the signature is the same. "The
authorities used all their resources and voting falsifications -
terror, bribes. The power machine worked hard in Ararat, like during
all-national elections. However, they managed to gain an advantage
of only 300 votes," the secretary of the parliament fraction of PA,
Naira Zograbyan, says.
RPA's representatives stated that the results of the mayor elections in
Ararat were the next brilliant victory by the Republican team which is
headed by Serge Sargsyan. "We have proved again that we are stronger
and will always be stronger than others," the governor of the Ararat
region, Aramis Grigoryan, said.
Meanwhile, the elections played a role in crystallization of the
political opposition field. The Armenian National Congress (ANC)
addressed its supporters to vote for PA. "Any elections should be
used as an opportunity to weaken the regime," the vice president of
ANC, Levon Zurabyan, said. Other opposition forces - Heritage and
Dashnaktsutyun - stayed indifferent to the elections. Some experts
considered the position as a support of authorities. How can the forces
which called themselves opposition be indifferent to elections in the
country where economics are based on the oligarchic regime, the main
"hero" of an offshore scandal is the Premier, the number of the poor
is close to 40%, and migration is huge?
After the elections in Ararat, the moderate opposition PA which calls
itself an alternative to the power will probably move toward the
radical opposition ANC which demands the resignation of the President.
It appears the authorities by their own hands made PA and ANC approach
each other.
On the other hand, the ruling RPA which had to use all administrative
and financial resources won by only 300 votes. The Armenian authorities
try to prevent all internal political processes in the country. They
provide a total control policy for this. However, the strategy doesn't
give desired results - weakening political opponents and improving
their own positions.
Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Nov 13 2013
13 November 2013 - 12:29pm
Susanna Petrosyan, Yerevan. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza
The candidate from the ruling Republican Party of Armenis, Ayk Aykyan,
won the early municipal elections in the Armenian town of Ararat on
November 10th. He was ahead of his rival, the candidate from Prosperous
Armenia, Samvel Barsegyan.
The election campaign was typical. None of requests by PA on holding a
meeting on the central square of the town was satisfied. The municipal
administration explained its rejections by scheduled sporting and
cultural events. However, no events took place, but the candidate
from PA had to conduct meetings with voters in yards.
An enormous amount of policemen, including representatives of special
task forces, could be seen near voting stations. Almost everywhere
voters had to stand in queues. In the first half of the day the police
arrested 10 envoys of the PA candidate, while PA's team registered
a lot of irregularities such as bribery and a new know-how - owners
didn't know voting citizens who were registered in their apartments.
The voter turnout was fantastically big - 67% of voters came
to voting stations. However, the signature is the same. "The
authorities used all their resources and voting falsifications -
terror, bribes. The power machine worked hard in Ararat, like during
all-national elections. However, they managed to gain an advantage
of only 300 votes," the secretary of the parliament fraction of PA,
Naira Zograbyan, says.
RPA's representatives stated that the results of the mayor elections in
Ararat were the next brilliant victory by the Republican team which is
headed by Serge Sargsyan. "We have proved again that we are stronger
and will always be stronger than others," the governor of the Ararat
region, Aramis Grigoryan, said.
Meanwhile, the elections played a role in crystallization of the
political opposition field. The Armenian National Congress (ANC)
addressed its supporters to vote for PA. "Any elections should be
used as an opportunity to weaken the regime," the vice president of
ANC, Levon Zurabyan, said. Other opposition forces - Heritage and
Dashnaktsutyun - stayed indifferent to the elections. Some experts
considered the position as a support of authorities. How can the forces
which called themselves opposition be indifferent to elections in the
country where economics are based on the oligarchic regime, the main
"hero" of an offshore scandal is the Premier, the number of the poor
is close to 40%, and migration is huge?
After the elections in Ararat, the moderate opposition PA which calls
itself an alternative to the power will probably move toward the
radical opposition ANC which demands the resignation of the President.
It appears the authorities by their own hands made PA and ANC approach
each other.
On the other hand, the ruling RPA which had to use all administrative
and financial resources won by only 300 votes. The Armenian authorities
try to prevent all internal political processes in the country. They
provide a total control policy for this. However, the strategy doesn't
give desired results - weakening political opponents and improving
their own positions.