REGISTERING DOZENS OF VIOLATIONS, CHOICE IS YOURS NGO, NEVERTHELESS,
POSITIVELY ESTIMATES PROCESS OF ELECTIONS

YEREVAN, MAY 14, NOYAN TAPAN. During the May 12 parliamentary
elections the observers of Choice is Yours NGO registered dozens of
violations at various polling stations of Armenia. NGO Chairman
Haroutiun Hambartsumian reported at the May 14 press conference. In
his words, there were many cases of illegal voting among the
violations.

According to organization’s preliminary report, simultaneous voting of
three voters in the same voting cabin was registered at polling
station N 4/07.

Unauthorized persons accompanied many voters, many of which were old
people, by cars to voting cabins at Hrazdan’s polling station N 25/13,
they marked in ballot-papers instead of them and threw them into
ballot-boxes intead of voters.

Open voting was held at Abovian’s polling station N 28/13. Voters
enveloped ballot-papers at commission member sealing ballot-papers
giving him a possibility to see the result of their voting. Open
voting was also held at Gavar’s polling station N 22/19.

At polling station N 1/09 voter Astghik Mkrtchian found an unknown
signature near her name in the electoral roll. Similar cases were also
registered at polling stations N 10/30 and 34/29.

In H. Hambartsumian’s words, "these and other cases of illegal voting,
as well as facts of having illegal influence upon voters are difficult
to prove "de jure," but indeed voter buying, which has taken roots
among us, shades improvement registered in the preelection period." He
added that nevertheless, their organization on the whole estimates the
process of elections positively,, as "the situation was worse" during
the previous elections.