IN TOKEN OF PROTEST, SIDE CHALLENGING NA ELECTIONS RESULTS AT CC LEAVES COURT: DECISION ON CASE MAY BE MADE ON JUNE 9

Noyan Tapan
Jun 08 2007

YEREVAN, JUNE 8, NOYAN TAPAN. On June 8, RA Constitutional Court went
to the consultation room to make a decision on the case challenging
the results of NA elections by proportional system. Representatives of
claimant and respondent parties made concluding speeches before this.

After making a concluding speech representatives of Orinats Yerkir and
Nor Zhamanakner and Hanrapetutiun parties representing the claimant
side followed the previous day’s example of representatives of
Impeachment bloc and in token of protest, left the court hall. During
concluding speeches of respondent party none of representatives of
claimant party was present at the hall.

OYP representative Artashes Avoyan stated that mass violations,
falsifications were committed at 1100 out of 1923 polling stations,
they introduced a table of violations on nearly 400 polling stations,
however, in claimant’s words, the court did not wish to go deep into
the details, rejected the petition on carrying out recalculation at a
number of polling stations. The side has an impression that CC will
not show courage and will not invalidate elections results even if
at 50 polling stations. The claimant qualfied the investigation as
a "farce", in its words, not constitutional, but political justice
is administered.

Representative of Nor Zhamanakner Party Ruben Torosian among the main
violations mentioned CEC’s renouncing its function of controlling
funds spent by parties-election participants, all-round violation of
provision of RA law On Television and Radio regulating hundreds of
broadcasts without mention "political broadcast" and "preelection
agitation broadcast," bad condition of judicial protectiveness
of suffrage: none of the 100 applications were sustained by the
court. Another NZP representative Hrachya Sargsian in his turn said
that organized, mass and periodical violations connected with one
another were committed during the electoral process.

In the words of representative of Hanrapetutiun Party Artak Zeynalian,
the respondent party did not introduce proof refuting the above
mentioned arguments, avoided the answer, which gives a ground for
evaluating the brought arguments as a proof. Zeynalian repeated
the arguments mentioned in his application: principles of freedom,
fairness, equality of elections, expression of voters’ will were
violated.

In the opinion of respondent, CEC Chairman Garegin Azarian, no issues
that were not answered or clarified remained. In the respect of
quality, in his words, essential progress was registered in the past
election, some violations were committed by electoral commissions,
state and local self-government bodies separately, which, however,
had no impact on expression of voters’ will and elections results,
so, there is no ground to invalidate the elections results.

Co-respondent, representative of Prosecutor’s Office, Deputy Prosecutor
General Gevorg Danielian has an impression that the claimant party had
too little to say, the arguments were long, repeated and contradicted
one another. In the words of another co-respondent, representative
of Justice Ministry, first Deputy Minister Gevorg Malkhasian, no
requirement of law or legal act was broken, there are insignificant
violations, the claimants, in his words, had the goal to solve purely
political problems. So, the respondent party petitioned to reject
the applications on invalidating CEC decision on electing deputies
by proportional system.

The Constitutional Court should make a decision on the case no later
than 15 days after entering the application, that is, until June 10.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress