Interfax, Russia
Russia & CIS General Newswire
February 22, 2008 Friday 8:16 PM MSK
Armenian deputy parliamentary speaker Ovannisian resigns
YEREVAN Feb 22
Armenian Deputy Parliamentary Speaker Vaan Ovannisian, who recently
ran for president, resigned on Friday.
"I used exclusively political methods based on ideological and moral
values in my campaign. I did not spare any efforts to keep
competition within the framework of constructive political dialogue,"
the Dashnaktsutiun party quoted Ovannisian as saying in his
statement.
"An atmosphere of hatred and irreconcilability, intimidation and
threats dominated the whole election campaign, which could not fail
to affect the election day itself," Ovannisian said.
He mentioned various violations during the election process,
including "ubiquitous bribery, the casting of fake ballots, and
violence at certain polling precincts."
"However, regardless of my assessment of these elections, I have made
my own decision to relinquish the office of deputy speaker of the
Armenian National Assembly," Ovannisian said.
The now former deputy speaker called on the Armenian people to
display calm and restraint. Those who are trying to incite
confrontation now should remember and understand "what crimes were
produced by the blatantly rigged 1996 presidential elections and what
troubles they caused to our people," he said.
Ovannisian wished the future president "composure and resolve to
pursue reforms that would help the authorities in the next elections
not to hope for election bribery, the incumbency levers, and
sometimes criminal elements merging with them but have the
opportunity to by supported by political groups’ and people’s trust,"
he said.
Armenia held presidential elections on February 19, in which Prime
Minister Serzh Sargsyan won by garnering 52.86% of the vote.