MAIN ELECTORAL FALSIFICATIONS WILL BE COMMITTED AT DISTRICT
COMMISSIONS, CEC MEMBER DECLARES
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 2, NOYAN TAPAN. The main falsifications at the May
12 parliamentary elections will be committed at district electoral
commissions. Felix Khachatrian, Ardarutiun (Justice) bloc
representative at the Central Electoral Commission (CEC), made such a
statement at the February 2 press conference. Presenting "the main
loop-holes of falsifications" he said that it will be difficult to
stuff ballot-boxes due to putting ballot-papers into enevelopes and
the mechanism of "double voting" will be mainly used.
In F.Khachatrian’s words, "15-thousand army of falsifiers" has been
formed in the country, the representatives of which actively work
during all elections. He stated that according to his information,
pressure is already exerted upon OYP representatives at
commissions. They are forces to resign. F.Khachatrian also said that
according to the amended Electoral Code, some changes should be made
at commissions’ staffs, which, in essence, has not been done.
According to the Electoral Code, in the period from fixing the date of
state elections until summing up the results of elections, electoral
commissions’ sittings are considered as competent irrespective of the
number of members participating in the sitting. This provision of the
law, in F.Khachatrian’s words, creates a possibility for exerting
pressure upon commissions’ members: by bribing or intimidating they
can force them not to attend these sittings.
In the CEC member’s words, the number of electors is already being
exaggerated by electoral rolls compiled by Passport and Visa
Department of RA Police. The number of electors at the constitutional
referendum held in 2005 November was 2 251 754, while as of January 1
it amounted to 2 325 353 and at the moment 2 333 460. In
F.Khachatrian’s words, under conditions of lack of growth of
population in the country the number of those having become adults
should be approximately equal to the number of the deceased. So, no
growth of the number of electors mentioned above is possible.
It was decided to set a seal to servicemen’s identification cards
before voting for excluding double voting by them, but the danger of
double voting by policemen has appeared instead. F.Khachatrian said
that three days before the elections the Cheif of RA Police will
approve the list of the policemen who will control over the process of
elections. Their names should be removed from the electoral rolls of
the place of their residence and within 1-day period should be added
to the lists of the districts where they will be on duty. Thus, as
F.Khachatrian affirmed, the variant of double voting by policemen
becomes possible through their being simultaneously on the two lists.
Similar change of electoral rolls is also planned for electors
receiving hospital treatment. Their family names should be removed
from the main electoral rolls to the rolls of the hospital’s nearest
district. F.Khachatrian said that part of 170 hospitals of the country
has more than 700 beds.