POLICE CONTINUE REFUTING IMPEACHMENT BLOC REPRESENTATIVE’S STATEMENT ABOUT PRINTING 400 THOUSAND PASSPORTS FOR FALSIFYING ELECTIONS
Noyan Tapan
May 16 2007
YEREVAN, MAY 16, NOYAN TAPAN. 1906 citizens having participated in
the elections restored their right to vote, 80 of them by judicial
order, 1826 on the basis of certificates given to them by territorial
passport services. Sayat Shirinian, Head of Information and Public
Relations Department of RA Police, reported at the May 16 meeting with
journalists. In his words, 80% of citizens who received certificates at
passport departments were citizens taken off the books by applications
of new owners.
A. Shirinian refuted the statement of Impeachment bloc representative
Nikol Pashinian that 400 thousand passports were printed, with which
the authorities organized falsification of elections. He said that
194 thousand 623 passports were printed from May 10, 2006 to May 10,
2007, 31 795 out of which for citizens aged from 1 day to 16 years,
49 717 for 16-18-year-old persons, 113 118 for citizens aged above 18.
S. Shirinian informed journalists that the Police cooperate only with
a French organization on contractual basis in the issue of printing
passports. In 2004-2006, 453 thousand 977 passport books were provided
by that organization.
S. Shirinian said that 433 signals about violations were received
on the day of elections. The Police checked 201 signals within its
competence, materials were prepared in connection with 9 of them,
institution of criminal case in connection with 3 of them was rejected,
a criminal case was instituted on one fact of voter buying.