Interfax, Russia
Russia & CIS
February 21, 2008

Recount underway at more than 100 polling stations in Armenia –
opposition party

YEREVAN Feb 21

A recount is underway at more than 100 polling stations following
recent presidential elections in Armenia, an opposition party has
said.

The seals at ballot boxes at a number of polling stations have
already been broken at a demand by the opposition party Orinats
Yerkir (the Country of Law), whose candidate Artur Bagdasarian, a
former parliamentary chairman, ran in the elections among other
candidates, the party’s press service told Interfax.

The ballots at these polling stations are being recounted jointly by
party activists and members of local elections commissions.

European observers suggested on Wednesday that a recount in Armenia
was possible.

Anne-Marie Lizin, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly vice president and
special coordinator of the OSCE short-term observers in Armenia, said
on Wednesday that some of her colleagues had witnessed irregularities
at certain polling stations, but, as they were only observers, a
recount could only be initiated by those who were responsible for the
voting process.

Bagdasarian and another opposition candidate Levon Ter-Petrosian, who
were said to have garnered 11.66% and 21.5% of the vote respectively,
earlier dismissed the official results, which gave the victory to
Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan with 52.86% of the vote.

Bagdasarian demanded a recount, while Ter-Petrosian insisted that new
elections be held.

However, most international observers found the elections to have
passed mostly in line with international standards.