PRESS TV, Iran
May 13 2007

Armenian opposition vows protests
Sun, 13 May 2007 13:38:24

Armenian opposition parties vow to launch protests after preliminary
results showed the pro-govt. parties sweeping parliamentary
elections.

"We do not recognize the election and we are now taking the next
important step in our struggle," said Nicol Pashinian, a leader of
the Impeachment bloc, adding that protests would begin Sunday
afternoon.

Pashinian’s bloc is one of numerous opposition forces unlikely to
cross the five-percent threshold of votes required to enter
parliament, preliminary results showed.

Simultaneous with the planned start of demonstrations, observers from
the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe were to give
their findings on whether the election met international standards.

Observers noted improvements in the run-up to the vote, saying the
government had granted the opposition wide access to voters.

But the opposition claims violations were rife on election day,
including instances of pro-government parties bribing voters outside
polling stations.

The Central Elections Commission said there were no major violations.

Preliminary figures showed voter turnout at 59.4 percent.

Results from 1,638 out of 1,923 polling stations showed the
Republican party of Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian far ahead with 34
percent of the vote, the Elections Commission said Sunday.