"ASPAREZ" CLUB OF JOURNALISTS AND "GALA" TV COMPANY REGISTER NUMEROUS ELECTORAL VIOLATIONS

Noyan Tapan
Feb 20, 2008

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 20, NOYAN TAPAN. On February 18, from 10:30 a.m. to
7 p.m, the Gyumri-based "Asparez" Club of Journalists received over 25
phone calls from citizens about various electoral violations. According
to a press release submitted to NT by "Asparez", "Gala" television
company also received about 50 alarm phone calls during that time.

According to these alarm calls, 5 thousand-dram bribes were
distributed to voters in the headquarters of one of the presidential
candidates. These are some of the areas, concerning which alarm calls
were received: Mush-2, Thatcher Street – in front of "Arevik" shop,
the crossroads of Thatcher and Manushian Streets, the administrative
building of the electric networks on Shara Talian Street, etc.

People in small groups (2, 3 or 4 people) gathered in the
indicated areas, entered the electoral bribe distribution places
such as headquarters, local institutions, etc. and came out in 2-5
minutes. This animantion would last an hour or hour and a half in
each of the electoral bribe distribution points. Alarm calls gradually
began to come from new and new districts.

According to a woman who called from the village of Musaelian in
Akhurian region, 5 thousand-dram electoral bribes were distributed
to nearly 90% of the voters of the village. They had to put their
signatures in some lists and then were given a piece of paper (2 cm x
3 cm in size) with the voter’s name written on it – so that it would
be possible to control votes of the bribed voters. These voters were
told to put not only the voting paper but also this coupon in the
envelope after the voting: to make the cotrol easy.

In fact this method allows to strictly control the "work" of electoral
bribes, and reveal non-fulfilment of the order. It is clear that this
method is efficient in case of the absence of control to be done by
empowered persons and observers. On the other hand, if control is
strict in the given polling station, then the bribed vote given to
a candidate will be recognized invalid after discovery of a coupon
in the envelope but bribe takers will be able to vote for another
candidate if they return the bribe and are ready for a conflict. The
probability of such behavior in villages is zero.

Alarm call makers said that a number of tricks will be used on the
election day: for example, the last page of passports will be covered
with cellophane so that the seal about receiving a voting paper will
be removed and the same passport will be able to "participate" again
in the vote.

In the period from 5 p.m. to 7:20 p.m. there was unusual animation in
Gyumri’s district behind "Line" where trip minibuses stop: about 120
people were waiting for something. Alarm call makers told these people
were waiting for another portion of money and from time to time someone
approached and told them not to gather together and catch the eye.

A number of residents of Akhurian expressed their resentment at the
fact of electoral bribe distrubution from a black Volga near the
Palace of Culture, not far from Monument to Komitas.

The shops located near the areas indicated by alarm call makers had
no time to service customers. The owners of these shops said that
after 3-6 p.m. people started paying off their debts.

The representatives of "Asparez" club went to more than 20 areas,
including Akhurian, indicated by alarm call makers and saw that the
information about crowds of people and their visits to the headquarters
is true.

"Gala" TV company organized special news updates at 3, 4, 6 and 7
p.m., presenting some of the alarm calls and calling attention of
law enforces to these alarm calls. In particular, an interview was
broadcast, in which, in response to a reporter’s question about how
much money is given, a woman says: "… just nothing, a hooligan sum –
5 thousand drams".

At about 5 p.m, the Shirak regional prosecutor’s office responded to
the news update of "Gala" TV company and its call to the prosecutor’s
office: it requested to present the facts in posession of the TV
company. In the opinion of reporters and representatives of several
presidential candidates, if the procesutor’s office had taken
operative steps instead of taking such a passive position, at least
10 cases of electoral bribery would have been discovered over half
an hour. To judge by the fact that flows of people to the respective
headquarters increased as the darkness fell, the law enforces did
not take any steps.

In some districts bribes were distributed in people’s homes. The
distributors went from house to house, giving 5 thousand drams to
people who had to put their signatures in lists.

"Gala"reported that according to rumors, the real envisaged amount
of an electoral bribe is 30-45 thousand drams. For example, the sum
for a vote is 40-45 thousand drams in electoral district no 33, 35-40
thousand drams – in electoral district no 34, and about 30 thousand
drams in electoral district no 35, but voters receive 5-10 thousand
drams, with the rest being pocketed by the distributors "as own share".

There was also information that the staff and students are told to come
to their educational institutions: higher educational institutions,
colleges and even schools on the election day with their passports. The
"call" hours were different: from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.