DPA LEADER CONVINCED THAT RIGGING WILL BE COMMITTED AGAIN DURING 2008 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
Noyan Tapan
Jan 7, 2008
YEREVAN, JANUARY 1, NOYAN TAPAN. Unlike international observers, the
Democratic Party of Armenia (DPA) gave a negative assessment of the
parliamentary elections held in Armenia on May 12, 2007. The chairman
of the DPA Aram Sargsian said during a talk with NT correspondent that
electors failed to express their opinions and positions on May 12:
their votes were greatly affected by the "technologies" used by the
authorities such as the use of administrative resource and creation
of an atmosphere of fear, especially in rural areas. "The factor of
money also played a great role: people were just bought. That is why
we take the view that those elections had a negative impact on the
situation in the country," A. Sargsian stated.
By his forecast, the above mentioned technologies will be widely used
at the presidential elections this year. According to A. Sargsian,
for this reason one should not believe implicitly the results
of sociological susveys. In his words, the decisive factor in the
elections will be how the undecided electorate will vote. A. Sargsian
said that such electors will vote under the impact of the indicated
technologies: bribes, administrative resource, etc.