CHOICE IS YOURS ORGANIZATION PRESENTS FACTS OF ELECTORAL VIOLATIONS FIXED BY ITS OBSERVERS

Noyan Tapan
Feb 21, 2008

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 21, NOYAN TAPAN. During the RA presidential
elections the Choice is Yours NGO has fixed a number of violations,
inaccuracies, and other facts causing anxiety, which cast shadow on the
organization’s expectations on democratic elections. Hasmik Sargsian,
the Spokesperson of the NGO, said at the February 21 press conference,
publishing the observation mission’s preliminary statement. According
to it, in particular, limitation of rights of empowered people and
media representatives in some polling stations, use of violence to
them, cases of insulting each other and brawls outside of polling
stations, exerting pressure upon commission members, empowered people,
and media representatives by district authorities give an occasion for
anxiety. According to H. Sargsian, on the one hand, they can deepen
voters’ disappointment in electoral processes and on the other hand,
deliver a blow to purity of electoral processes.

According to the estimation of the Choice is Yours NGO, those electoral
violations and inaccuracies are also the consequence of the fact that
though serious punishments are established for electoral violations,
these sanctions have not been used to offenders with the whole
strictness so far.

Haroutiun Hambartsumian, the organization’s Chairman, presented a
number of electoral violations. In particular, the voting cabins were
not placed by the established order at polling stations N 9/27, 28/30,
3/25, 1/27, 9/30, 9/31, 3/11, 1/25, 1/26, and many polling stations
of Davitashen community.

The counting of votes at polling stations N 1/19, 38/15, 38/14 polling
stations was interrupted due to stopping of electricity supply and at
polling station M 3/18 of Kanaker-Zeytun community the counting of
votes was stopped for several times for unintelligible reasons. At
polling stations N 38/40 and 38/39 servicemen’s voting was done by
the formation order. At polling station N 3/27 during counting of
votes the Zharangutiun/ Heritage party’s representative in the polling
station commission was not permitted to take part in the counting of
votes. Here 24 ballot-papers in favor of L. Ter-Petrosian were put
on those in favor of S. Sargsian, which was noticed by the empowered
people of OYP and ARFD.

It was also mentioned that the organization is also going to keep up
with all post-electoral processes to make sure that those committing
the electoral violations will be punished with the whole strictness
of the law.