ARF VOWS TO MONITOR SUNDAY’S ELECTION

ws-to-monitor-sundays-election/
May 26th, 2009

YEREVAN (Combined Sources)-The Armenian Revolutionary Federation
announced Tuesday that it had all mechanisms in place to monitor
voting and counter any election fraud during Sunday’s municipal
elections in Yerevan.

"This time we will go it alone and utilize our own representatives
in each precinct to monitor the voting," said Armen Rustamian, an
ARF leader managing the party’s election campaign. He explained that
the party will have two to three representatives in each of the 439
polling places.

He added that if each political party monitors its own vote, the
election process would be more enhanced, given that each election in
Armenia has created more problems than solutions. "We must one day
step off this path."

Rustamian, who serves as the Chairman of the ARF’s Supreme Body in
Armenia, also expressed concern that throughout the election process,
there has not been enough discourse regarding the importance of the
municipal elections given that it is the first time such elections
are taking place.

Last year, the parliament ratified an amendment to Armenia’s election
code whereby the Yerevan City Council members would be elected rather
than appointed by the president. The new code also stipulates that
only political parties can take part in the vote, which Rustamian
said made these elections a critical political turning point.

Artsvik Minasian, who leads the ARF roster of candidates and thus is
the party’s pick for the mayoral race said that his party intends to
bring professionalism to the Yerevan City Council, adding his belief
that the eventual mayor should not be a member of the ruling party
in order to create a much-needed political balance.

"I have invited the candidates to a public debate. Let everyone come
and present views for developing Yerevan," challenged Minasian. "This
debate will provide our voters with an opportunity to assess and
understand who is better suited to do that. If a person is ready
to assume the office of the Mayor of Yerevan, he should be ready to
debate with others."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress