AS A NUMBER OF NGOs ESTIMATE, RA PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS NOT HELD IN LINE WITH DEMOCRATIC VALUES

Noyan Tapan
Feb 29 2008

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 29, NOYAN TAPAN. Nine Armenian NGOs have expressed
anxiety about the voting in the presidential elections, preelectoral
and postelectoral processes. They consider that the elections
were not held in line with democratic values and processes. These
organizations, in particular, the Helsinki Committee of Armenia,
the Asparez journalist club of Gyumri, Yerevan Press Club have drawn
such a conclusion as a result of their observations.

As Avetik Ishkhanian, the Chairman of Helsinki Committee, said at
the February 29 press conference, on the voting day, on February 19,
when implementing observation mission in Gyumri, Lori, and Tavush he
registered no serious violation in polling stations. In his words,
"everything happened outside the polling stations." According to
A. Ishkhanian, the whole Gyumri was turned into an "electoral
fair." The picture was the same in Lori and Tavush, with an
exception that the electoral bribes had been given out in advance
there. A. Ishkhanian said that the international observers were not
able to see all this, as they mostly stayed at polling stations.

Levon Barseghian, the Chairman of the Asparez journalist club of
Gyumri, said that in Gyumri electoral bribes had been given out from
February 16. He presented the video materials and photos on facts of
electoral violations provided by the Gala TV Company, the number of
which reaches several dozens.

According to L. Barseghian, even under the circumstances of their
possessing many facts of violations the local Police undertook no
steps in the direction of preventing them.

According to the NGOs’ statement, the international observers’
estimation, which the government and the media under its control try
to present in the positive light, was critical. "The international
observers in the report mentioned facts of information censorship,
intimidation of voters, buying votes, as well as other facts and
named counting of votes in 16% polling stations they visited "bad"
or "very bad," the statement read.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress