CITIZENS WHO DIED IN THE 1960S WERE INCLUDED IN THE ELECTORAL LISTS IN 2005

ARMINFO News Agency
October 11, 2005

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 11. ARMINFO. The head of “Your Choice” social
organization Harutiun Harutiunian said that during the local government
bodies elections new methods of falsifications were invented.

According to Mr. Harutiunian, the citizens’ right for secret vote
was violated almost everywhere. The bulletins were checked and often
falsified by the electoral committees. Cemetery voting occurred
in Ararat region, where over 220 citizens who died in the 1960’s
were included in the electoral lists. Numerous citizens of Nor Hachn
region, registered in the preliminary lists, were not admitted to the
elections. In that region, in result of falsifications was re-elected
Armen Keshishian, who had murdered the head of local electricity
network. In electoral ditricts 27/7, 27/05, 27/02, 27/03, and in
some regions of Abovian, Biuregavan and Eghednadzor the members
of electoral committees accompanied the electors to the cabins and
intervened in voting. Sometime the voters were conducted to fill two
or more voting bulletins.

The report of the “Your Choice” social organization will be presented
to the Central Electoral Committee. Mr. Harutiunian added that there
is nothing to change in the Electoral Code of Armenia and assured
that the Venice Commission did not comment on it just by chance.

Harutiun Harutiunian also denoted the decision of the Central
Electoral Committee, made on the initiative of Artashes Abovian, a
representative of “Orinats Erkir” party. According to that decision,
in case an electoral committee member violates the Electoral Code, the
violator will be dismissed from the office, and not the organization
he represents, as it was before.

The head of the Electoral Committee, Garegin Azarian, promised Mr.

Harutiunian that the suggestions of the “Your Choice” organization
will be taken into consideration when discussing the amendments to
the Electoral Code at the Parliament.