ARMENIAN POLL BEING CHALLENGED

PRESS TV, Iran
May 23 2007

Armenia’s main opposition party has launched the first in a series
of legal challenges to the results of the country’s parliamentary
elections.

The Country of Law party, which won nine seats in the ex-Soviet
republic’s 131-seat National Assembly, filed suit with Armenia’s
Constitutional Court contesting the results in two constituencies,
party spokeswoman Susanna Abrahamian said.

She said the party planned to file lawsuits contesting the results
throughout the country within a few days.

Pro-government parties won an overwhelming majority in the election,
with Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian’s Republican Party taking the
most seats.

Armenia’s opposition claims the election was deeply flawed but the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said the vote
was a clear improvement over previous polls.

The opposition in this small country says violations were rife on
election day, including instances of pro-government parties bribing
voters outside polling stations.
From: Baghdasarian