CHAIRMAN OF ELECTORAL COMMISSION STATES ABOUT ELECTORAL VIOLATIONS
IMPLEMENTED BY HIMSELF

YEREVAN, APRIL 14, NOYAN TAPAN. Non-partizan Spartak Yeghiazarian, an
inhabitant of the village of Oshakan, the marz of Aragatsotn,
addressed to the “Azgayin Miabanutiun” (National Unity) party and
asked to give him possibility to meet with mass media to state about
electoral violations implemented by him.

Alexan Karapetian, the Secretary of the NA “National Unity” faction
informed about this at the April 14 parliamentary briefing. “Reports
of the two stages of the presidential elections and the referendum do
not correspond to the reality, I myself had violations,” was mentioned
in the application. Spartak Yeghiazarian who was also present at the
briefing informed that during the 2003 presidential and parliamentary
elections as well as the 2005 referendum, he was the Electoral
Commissions Chairman of correspondingly No 04/30 and No 14/32 polling
stations, being the RA President’s representative in the commissions.

According to Yeghiazarian, accounting of voting papers of the first
stage of the presidential elections in his polling station showed that
Robert Kocharian got 12% of votes. Artashes Geghamian, the Chairman
of the “Azgayin Miabanutyun” party was on the second place, and Stepan
Demirchian, the Chairman of the People’s Party of Armenia was on the
first place. But as a condition was made concerning securing 60% in
favour of Kocharian, votes given in favour of Geghamian and Demirchian
were also accounted in his favour. Yeghiazarian mentioned that during
the first stage not all the polling stations of the marz secured such
a result. Particularly, in No04/29 polling station votes given for
Kocharian made 29%. But during the second stage, more than 50% of
votes was fixed in favour of Kocharian in that polling station. He
mentioned that the same mechanism was used in all over the marz.

According to Yeghiazarian, during the referendum on the constitutional
amendments electoral commissions were beforehand given electoral rolls
of the polling stations where full names of inhabitants, their
passport data and signatures were mentioned. According to the
Commission Chairman, 60 people in reality participated in the
referendum, 30 of who voted “yes,” 22 “no,” 8 voting papers were
recognized invalid.

But 1649 “yes” were presented in the lists prepared beforehand. Such a
process took place in the whole marz. Responding the Noyan Tapan
correspondent’s question, Yeghiazarian stated that he was given no
bribe, and he implemented those violations as a result of pressure put
on him. He stated that he was frightened threatening that they will
harm his two children, but today he is not afraid of anything and
decided to repend. He mentioned that he is ready to bear the
responsibility for his offence. Yeghiazarian promised to make in
future public names of all those guilty, starting with the President’s
staff up to their local authorities. Yeghiazarian mentioned that he
addressed to the RA President’s staff and the Defence Ministry with
this issue, but there was no result. He also made an attempt to
address to the Prosecutor’s Office, but his application was not
accepted. Yeghiazarian also informed that he addressed to the National
Press Club, asking to convene a press-conference on this issue, but he
was refused.