MPS OF ZHARANGUTIUN FACTION STRICTLY CONDEMN FEBRUARY 19 ELECTIONS

Noyan Tapan
Feb 20, 2008

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 20, NOYAN TAPAN. The event, which took place on
February 19, cannot be considered as elections in any way. This
statement was made by Stepan Safarian, a member of the Zharangutiun
(Heritage) faction of the National Assembly, at the press conference,
which was held on February 19.

According to her, this time the authorities made use of the whole
arsenal of the electoral falsifications they possessed: stuffings,
acts of violence, kidnapping of people, electoral bribe, open
ballot, to name but a few. "I have not seen such elections yet,
this is the greatest and the latest disgrace of our authorities,"
Stepan Safarian declared.

Zaruhi Postanjian, another MP of the Zharangutiun faction, declared
that the most important reason of the acts of violence and mass
violations, which took place in the elections, is the illegal campaign,
which lasted over a month, and had a very heavy influence on the
elections: "Central Electoral Commission Chairman Garegin Azarian
has committed a criminal crime, as he has not prevented that illegal
electoral campaign," Zaruhi Postanjian declared.

The latter also stated that violence has been implemented towards
her and the other members of the Zharangutiun faction by the Chief
of the Police of Erebuni in Polling Station 13/16 of Erebuni. The MPs
have clashed with the policemen when the MPs noticed and videoed the
latters interfering in the electoral processes.

It was also stated at the press conference, that there have been
stuffings in Polling Stations 9/8 and 7/25: in the latter a group
of 50-70 people, who broke into the polling stations, stuffed
the ballot-boxes with ballot papers on the order of RA MP Samvel
Alexanian. All over Vardenis they have given out electoral bribe and
there have been cases of stuffings in all the five polling stations
of Vardenis.