Month: June 2009

POLICEMEN ARE READY

A1+
07:40 pm | June 01, 2009

Politics

More and more police cars are seen in Yerevan’s Kentron district
at present.

A1+’s film crew noticed buses full of policemen at the beginning of
Hanrapetutyun Street and at the backyard of Republican Square. Another
two buses are parked near the Central Election Commission.

While we were shooting the policemen senior officers ordered them to
get on the bus.

A great number of policemen have grouped near the Matenadaran where
an opposition’s rally is underway.

"SHAME ON YOU!"

A1+
07:18 pm | June 01, 2009

Politics

"The electoral system of Armenia was finally ruined after yesterday’s
election," announced Amalia Kostanyan, Head of the Transparency
International Organization.

"Yesterday’s poll was a real shock for us. The whole process was
accompanied by infringements of different scale; there was great
crowding and stuffing at polling stations."

Mrs. Kostanyan qualified the election in Malatia-Sebastia district
as the most immoral and cynic.

Together with the Helsinki Citizens Assembly of Vanadzor (HCAV),
representatives of the Transparency International witnesses ballot
stuffing, bribery, violence against observers and journalist and
numerous infringements.

Arthur Sakunts, Head of Vanadzor office, says he was even invited to
dinner. After becoming convinced that Sakunts couldn’t be bribed,
they tried to threaten him: "You have seen too much. We shall glue
your eyes so that you will see nothing".

Election commissions are set up to rig elections," announced
Mr. Sakunts. Amalia Kostanyan quoted a commission chairman: "Do
you understand that I keep a family and solve the problem of daily
bread. I am even ready to kill a human being to keep my family".

What’s the use of speaking about elections if someone says he is
ready to kill a man?" wondered Mrs. Kostanyan.

Unlike international observers, the local ones do not assess
yesterday’s vote as positive.

"If observers said the elections of 2007 and 2008 were in line
with European standards, today they were supposed to make a similar
statement. This is a policy," adds Mrs. Kostanyan.

She thinks 15 people cannot conduct an observation mission and give
a positive assessment of an election. "Shame on them," added Arthur
Sakunts.

Note that the phrases "Shame on them" and "This is a policy" were
not translated for the representatives of the Council of European.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SERZH SARGSYAN ALSO CONGRATULATED CONGRESS

A1+
06:32 pm | June 01, 2009

Official

Serzh Sargsyan issued a message on the occasion of the election to
the Yerevan City Council. The message reads in part:

"Dear residents of Yerevan,

The first elections to the City Council are over. We are launching
a new system of administration in the capital, which is a serious
progress towards reinforcement of democratic mechanisms in Armenia. I
congratulate all citizens of Yerevan on this occasion.

I’d like to extend my congratulations to the Republican Party of
Armenia, the Prosperous Armenia Party and the Armenian National
Congress on their success in the elections and wish them productive
activity in the City Council. I congratulate all the forces
participating in the elections on the successful conduct of the
election campaign and the effective use of the opportunities for
bringing forward sound approaches targeted at the development of the
capital city.

The polls of May 31 and the whole election campaign prove that we
have managed to solve a substantial part of the problems we faced
for years and have moved forward towards solution of others.

Unfortunately, infringements were registered at some polling
stations. My stance on those is clear: the interest of one or several
persons cannot be higher than the interest of the state, and fair
elections are the absolute interest of the state. These require
not only the exclusion of election frauds, but also consistency in
revealing and eliminating the frauds. Therefore, it is the demand of
all of us that every violation should be revealed, the guilty should
be held accountable.

Dear citizens of Yerevan,

Once again I congratulate you on the occasion of the elections for
the Yerevan City Council I wish prosperity to our capital and success
and all the best to its residents.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

STAFF CONFIRMED

A1+
06:21 pm | June 01, 2009

Politics

On May 30, Serzh Sargsyan signed an order on appointing Vazgen Manukyan
President of the Public Council.

Serzh Sargsyan today confirmed the staff of the Public Council which
is comprised of 24 members.

Robert Atoyan

Stepan Gishyan

Karine Danielyan

Baben Harutyunyan

Henrik Hovhannisyan

Markos Archbishop Hovhannisyan

Ara Minasyan

Hovik Musaelyan

Hayk Sargsyan

Sos Sargsyan

Armen Ter-Tachatyan

WHICH IS YOUR FAVOURITE COLOUR?

A1+
06:12 pm | June 01, 2009

Politics

Voters of polling station 8/33 showed up with different pens during
yesterday’s vote.

The ballot papers are marked with multi-colour pens. The vote count
also differed at this polling station.

Details are available in a video material given by e-channel.am.

TV CHANNELS WERE KIND

A1+
05:51 pm | June 01, 2009

Politics

The Yerevan Press Club today presented an interim report on the
coverage of the elections for the Yerevan City Council by 7 Armenian
TV channels. The monitoring was conducted with the financial assistance
of the Open Society Institute.

The monitoring was conducted in two stages – before the start of the
election campaign and during the campaign. The final report will be
ready in a few days.

Presenting the general content of the monitoring, President of the
Yerevan Press Club Boris Navasardyan noted that the coverage of this
campaign differed from that of the presidential elections. According
to Boris Navasardyan, the materials presented by media and the
technologies used by the participating forces did not tend to prove
that the rival was worse. On the contrary, every political force had
the objective to prove that it was better.

The content of seven TV channels in Armenia was monitored. With
regard to the Public Television, Boris Navasardyan said: "This time
the Public TV ensured almost exemplary coverage."

Six other TV channels included the Second Armenian Channel, ALM (both
aired all over the territory of the republic), ArmNews, Yerkir Media,
Kentron and Shant. "This was a neutral, and even a kind campaign,"
this is the conclusion experts of the Yerevan Press Club drew.

Summing up the results, Boris Navasardyan stated: "This proves that
our electronic media can be rather unbiased if they want so. If they
are not neutral, then they don’t want to or are not allowed to."

DID OBSERVERS FOLLOW THE ELECTION WITH STARING EYES?

A1+
05:35 pm | June 01, 2009

Politics

"Yerevan municipal elections were largely conducted in compliance
with European standards," says the Congress of Local and Regional
Authorities of the Council of Europe. The observation mission today
expressed its satisfaction with the electoral processes but their
words aroused doubt among the reporters.

"We are upset that you don’t believe us," head of the delegation
Nigel Mermagen declared.

"There has been no election in Armenia before, during which so many
cases of violence against reporters were recorded as was the case
with May 31 mayoral election. Does it meet European standards, too?

"It is outside our competence. But we have reached such information
and we will take it into account in our final report", said Nigel
Mermagen. The observers noted that their mission is aimed at disclosing
and recording election frauds and vote violations.

Reporter of "168 Zham" newspaper Armine Avetyan reminded Mr. Mermagen
that she had reported them on election frauds and beatings the
day before.

"You were listening to my story so indifferently that I became
convinced that the election would be rigged," said Mrs. Avetyan.

Note that yesterday while the observers were dining at the "Triumph"
cafe ballots were being stuffed in boxes.

A1+ wondered how long the observers had been out of polling stations.

In reply, Mr. Mermagen said that the observers had visited all polling
stations, followed the vote count with staring eyes and returned to
the hotel after midnight.

Mr. Mermagen couldn’t remember how many polling stations they had
visited. He also noted that the observation delegation had arrived
in Armenia on May 27 and they had been unable to follow TV coverage
of electoral processes.

Mr. Mermagen refrained to mention any shortcomings during the vote. The
final report will be presented at the PACE autumn session. "We have
to make a thorough report where we will present the details", said
the head of the CoE delegation.

Asked how they can assess the election outcome as positive if they
still have to make a final report, Mr. Mermagen said: "I am sorry
that you don’t believe us."

SERVICEMEN YIELDED THEMSELVES PRISONER

A1+
05:04 pm | June 01, 2009

Official

According to the NKR Defence Ministry, at about 2:10, on May 31,
Armenian servicemen Ohan Harutunyan and Gevorg Tovmasyan left the
military unit and appeared in the Azerbaijani territory. They were
called up on May 19, 2009.

Details are being revealed.

Investigation is underway.

WILL BALLOTS BE RECOUNTED?

A1+
03:37 pm | June 01, 2009

Politics

The General Prosecutor’s Office has applied to the Central Election
Commission with a request to recount the ballots at eight polling
stations and to submit a report on the results.

The request is based on press publications about vote stuffing,
says Sona Truzyan, a spokesperson for the Prosecutor-General.

A few criminal actions have been instituted on
vote stuffing and violence against journalists and

"I WOULD BLAME MYSELF"

A1+
03:15 pm | June 01, 2009

Politics

Heritage Party representative to the Central Election Commission
Zoya Tadevosyan refused to sign the final protocol on the election
preliminary results.

Mrs. Tadevosyan looked in all polling stations yesterday.

"How could I sign the protocol after such large-scale election
fraud?" says the representative of the opposition Heritage
Party. "Signing the document would mean concluding a bargain with
the authorities. I would blame myself," noted Mrs. Tadevosyan.

Remind that according to the CEC three parties have passed the election
threshold. The Republican Party is leading with 190,171 votes, followed
by Prosperous Armenia Party (91,141 votes) and the Armenian National
Congress (69,871).

Note that the minimum vote count for parties was seven percent and
for alliances – 9 percent.