A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE REPUBLIC PARTY: NUMEROUS VIOLATIONS DURING THE PRE-ELECTORAL PERIOD CAST DOUBT ON THE LEGITIMACY OF THE ELECTION

Arminfo
2007-04-23 17:52:00

Numerous violations during the pre-electoral period cast doubt on
the legitimacy of the election, Souren Sourenyants, a member of the
Political Council of the Republic party, said at a press-conference,
Monday.

S.Sourenyants expressed his indignation at the fact that the
news programs on TV cover the pre-electoral campaigns of the
oppositionists in a differentiated way. The analysis shows that
most people watch TV at 8-9 PM. And the agitation video clips
are shown at 5 PM, i.e. when people are still at their workplace,
S.Sourenyants said. The Republic party has applied to the Central
Electoral Commission to change the time of the video clips, however,
the request was rejected. S.Sourenyants also pointed out the fact
that the authorities use administrative resources and bribe the
voters. Passports are being collected in some military units, as well
as at the Kilikya plant. The owners of these passports are to vote
for the Republican Party of Armenia. He also accused the Republican
Party and the Prosperous Armenia of bribing voters. Moreover, sometimes
the voters are forced to take the bribe. At the journalists’ request,
S.Sourenyants expressed his own opinion about the true oppositionist
parties. First and foremost, he named the Republic party, then the
Impeachment bloc, the New Times party, the Armenian National Movement
and the Hunchakyan party. As for the Heritage party, S.Sourenyants
classed it among his "colleagues".

For his part, Smbat Ayvazyan, the head of the Republic party’s
pre-electoral headquarters, said that the party will pay a visit
to the Aragatsotn region on April 25 and 26, and meet the voters of
the Avan and Zeitun communities of Yerevan on April 26 and 27. The
party is planning to visit Aparan, Spitak and Alaverdi on April 28
and the Gegharkunik region on April 30. S.Ayvazyan also touched upon
the extremely high rates for the paid airtime. "Only the RPA and the
Prosperous Armenia can afford it," he said. According to him, in some
places, particularly, in the Syunik region the authorities make the
village headmen ensure a certain percent of votes for the RPA. Besides,
S.Ayvazyan dwelled on some public opinion polls concerning the election
returns. According to him, sociologist Aharon Adibekyan is ready
to draw any poll for money," he said. He thinks that at the moment,
there are no more than 1 mln 200 thsd voters in the country, and no
more than 800 thsd will actively participate in the election. If the
authorities give up using administrative resources and other frauds,
they will have no more than 15-20% of votes, he said in conclusion.