Agence France Presse — English
May 12, 2007 Saturday 12:34 AM GMT

Armenians hungry for change in parliamentary election

YEREVAN, May 12 2007

Armenians go to the polls Saturday hungry for change in what is being
billed as a litmus test for democracy in this impoverished ex-Soviet
country.

Surveys show an overwhelming majority of Armenians support radical
reform, but polls predict pro-government parties will come out ahead
in the parliamentary election.

The vote is seen as a key test of democracy in the small mountainous
republic wedged between Turkey and Iran, where no election has been
judged fair since independence with the collapse of the Soviet Union
in 1991.

More than 20 opposition parties are running and analysts say these
divisions have scuttled chances of defeating two pro-government
parties — the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HKK) and the
Prosperous Armenia party headed by millionaire former World Arm
Wrestling Champion Gagik Tsarukian.

Opposition leaders claim the vote will be rigged and are already
planning street demonstrations on Sunday to pressure the government
to overturn the results.

About 2.3 million of Armenia’s three million people are registered to
vote in elections for 131 seats in the National Assembly.

Hundreds of local and international observers will monitor the vote,
including more than 300 from the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe.

The United States and European Union have repeatedly warned of
negative consequences if no improvement is seen over past elections,
including potential cuts of foreign aid and the scaling back of
relations.

Cuts in foreign assistance could be disastrous for Armenia, where
more than 30 percent of people live on less than two dollars (1.50
euros) a day.

The election is also seen as a dress rehearsal for a presidential
vote due next year after President Robert Kocharian steps down at the
end of his second term. The HKK, led by Kocharian’s chosen successor
Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian, is widely expected to take first
place.

Kocharian has called on voters to support pro-government parties,
warning of instability if the opposition came to power.

"If the two most important governmental institutions — the president
and the parliament — start a confrontation, the people will be the
ones to suffer," he said on Armenian television.

Polls open Saturday at 0300 GMT and close at 1500 GMT, with
preliminary results expected within 24 hours.