CURRENT PM ‘WINS’ ARMENIAN POLL

BBC NEWS
urope/7254121.stm
2008/02/20 11:06:13 GMT

Armenian Prime Minister Serge Sarkisian has won fiercely-contested
presidential polls in the former Soviet republic, a complete
preliminary count shows.

Election officials said Mr Sarkisian led with 52.9% of the vote, with
his nearest rival, ex-President Levon Ter-Petrosian, trailing on 21.5%.

The results suggest that Mr Sarkisian wins outright, avoiding
a run-off.

But Mr Ter-Petrosian said Tuesday’s vote had been rigged, calling
for a protest rally in the capital Yerevan.

Mr Ter-Petrosian’s supporters are already gathering in the city,
the BBC’s Matthew Collin in Yerevan says.

Turnout was nearly 70% of 2.3m eligible voters, Armenia’s election
commission said. Seven other candidates were also in the race.

‘Violations’

Mr Sarkisian is a close ally of outgoing President Robert Kocharian,
and the election was initially expected to be a smooth handover of
power to Mr Sarkisian.

But Mr Ter-Petrosian – Armenia’s president between 1991 and 1998 –
surprised experts with a lively and outspoken campaign, and now
insists he is the real winner.

"Very dirty things are happening," Mr Ter-Petrosian said after voting,
alleging that the election had been rigged.

The Armenian authorities have strongly denied manipulating the
election process.

Observers from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe
(OSCE) – who were monitoring the vote – are expected to announce
their assessment of the election later on Wednesday.

An observer mission from a Russia-led group of former Soviet republics
said the elections were "free and open", Russia’s Itar-Tass news
agency reported.

Although small, Armenia is regarded as strategically important –
lying between the energy-rich Caspian Sea and the gas and oil markets
of southern Europe.

Correspondents say the main issues for Armenians are tackling
unemployment and resolving long-running disputes with neighbouring
Turkey and Azerbaijan, both of which have closed their borders with
Armenia.