Author: Kalantarian Kevo

Alerts and electoral violation facts

07:18 pm | Today | Politics

Alerts and electoral violation facts received from the election
control group of the “Heritage” headquarters at 15:00 in 06.05.2012

– The early volatile ink was not let to be changed in the 1/11 polling
station at 11:15. This was informed from the very precinct by the
“Heritage” party representative SedaSafaryan.
– “Heritage” party member Susanna Barkhudaryan voting in 5/12 polling
station reported that the number of the people in the center of the
precinct place exceeds the number allowed by law and makes over 31
people. A protocol is drawn up and signed by the secretary.
– “Heritage” party member AnahitBakhshyan received an alert that in
32/23 polling station an open voting was implemented for the RPA
candidate Karen Karapetyan.
– According to the 14/14 precinct committee chairman
EpraqsyaMatevosyan the head of Karbi community Frunze Nazaretyan being
a proxy person at the same time, has entered the precinct place with
the badge of the Republican Party and has refused to take it off as a
way of agitation. “Heritage” Party member AnahitBakhshyanhas called RA
General Prosecutor’s Office in connection with this and informed
prosecutor KoryunPiloyan about the case.
– There have been accumulations /Kharberd/ in 12/37 and 12/34 polling
stations in the morning. Near the precinct a woman named Marine has
been campaigning to vote for the 4th candidate of the majority list
and for the 7rd candidate of the proportional list of RP. According to
the “Heritage” party representative AnahitBakhshyan the Heritage proxy
person has the recorded video.
– According to the information got to AnahitBakhshyan electoral bribes
are given in one of the entrances of the building near N 160 School in
Erebuni. The same is done behind the gas station wall near the 12/09
polling station located in ArtashisyanStreet.
– At 12:50 the proxy person of the “Heritage” party VarduhiOhanyan
alerted that a woman in 6/12 polling station (v. Ohanyan has recorded
the video) was bringing groups of voters to the polling station going
in and out the precinct place though being already voted in the
morning. The same person intimidated one of the voters in front of the
proxy person who was then in the voting booth. The proxy person has
enlisted the very case but the commission chairman who represents the
ARF party and the commission secretaryhave not yet registered the
protocol. In the polling station and nearby has not been any
representative of the police. “Heritage” headquarters has alerted the
police hotline about that at 13:00 but any policeman has not arrived
to the polling station till 15:00.
– There were accumulations in the 14/1 and 14/2 polling station in the
region of Aragacotn at 12:20 and the representatives of the police
could not establish an order. AnahitBakhshyan was informed about that
by the “Heritage” representatives.
– “Heritage” proxy person SamvelHayrapetyan reported that the
proportional and majority voting boxes have not been sealed in the
38/08 electoral place till 10:00. The commission members reasoned that
they have not noticed that. There have already been ballots in the
boxes before being sealed.
– ZaruhiPostanjyan has alerted that in the 4/12 polling station about
600 rural votershave been recorded who have received temporary
registration in the houses in Arabkir community by the data of April
14 without having the agreement of the owners of those houses.
– The chairman of the “Heritage” commission Daniel Ioannisyan has
alerted that in the 06/16 polling station the proxy persons of the RPA
party and the majority candidate RoubenHovsepyan several times have
exceeded the allowed number (they have been more than one). This has
been recordedby the signature of 5 members of the commission included
the signature of the chairman and this has been registered.
– By the data of 15:00 o’clock many of the chairmen of the polling
stations denied to change the early volatile ink of the stamps by
common ink.
– There are alerts from a number of polling stations about the
elections with pens of different color which can make controllable the
choice of the citizens’ violating the secrecy of the vote.

Election control group of the “Heritage” Campaign Headquarters

BigPond News
May 6 2012

Armenia vote tests fragile democracy

Armenians have begun voting for a new parliament in the biggest test
of the former Soviet state’s fragile democratic credentials since
disputed presidential elections in 2008 ended in fatal clashes.

The authorities promised an unprecedentedly clean contest for the
131-seat National Assembly in the hope of avoiding further turmoil
after battles between riot police and opposition supporters four years
ago left 10 people dead.

‘I am for change but without drastic upheavals. We need stability,’
one voter at a polling station in the capital Yerevan, electrician
Garnik Khacheian, told AFP on Sunday.

‘I voted for fairness. It’s impossible to live in a country where
human rights are not observed, where there is no work and there are
the very rich and those who have nothing,’ said unemployed voter
Alvard, who declined to give her surname.

Opinion polls suggested that President Serzh Sarkisian’s governing
Republican party was ahead of its ally in the outgoing parliamentary
coalition – the Prosperous Armenia party, led by millionaire tycoon
and former arm-wrestling champion Gagik Tsarukian – with opposition
parties trailling.

‘We expect highly active participation,’ Armen Khazarian, an official
at one polling station in Yerevan, told AFP.

The Armenian National Congress opposition bloc led by former president
Levon Ter-Petrosian has alleged that the governing party is planning
to rig the vote to keep power and has threatened protests.

A pre-poll report by observers from the Organisation for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) did not register systematic violations,
although media reports alleged that some parties have been bribing
potential voters.

The final day of campaigning on Friday was marred when about 150
people were injured amid chaotic scenes as scores of gas-filled
balloons exploded at a Republican party rally in Yerevan, sparking
criticism of Sarkisian for continuing the event after the incident.

Campaigning in the Caucasus state of 3.3 million people focused mainly
on issues of unemployment, poverty and emigration rather than
Armenia’s long-running political disputes with neighbours Turkey and
Azerbaijan.

Landlocked and impoverished Armenia has suffered economically because
its borders with both countries are closed.

No final peace deal has been signed with Azerbaijan since the 1990s
war over the region of Nagorny Karabakh, and gun battles often erupt
along the front line.

Efforts to restore diplomatic relations with Turkey, which could have
ended decades of enmity over the World War I genocide of Armenians
under the Ottoman empire, have also been frozen.

About 2.5 million people are eligible to vote in the elections, which
are being contested by eight parties and one bloc.

Some 350 European observers and 31,000 local monitors are scrutinising
the conduct of the polls, which close at 8pm local time (0200 Monday
AEST).

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
May 6 2012

World press on elections in Iran, Armenia and Russia (May 5-6, 2012)

The Washington Post reported that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s
support in Iran’s parliament crumbled as final results released
Saturday showed conservative rivals consolidating their hold on the
legislative body in a runoff vote. Iran has touted a robust turnout
for Friday’s vote as a show of support for the country’s religious
leadership in its confrontation with the West over the Islamic
Republic’s controversial nuclear program. The result is also a new
humiliation for Ahmadinejad, whose political decline started last year
with his bold but failed challenge of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei over the choice of intelligence chief. Ahmadinejad’s
opponents had already won an outright majority in the 290-member
legislature in the first round of voting in March. Of 65 seats up for
grabs in Friday’s runoff election, Ahmadinejad’s opponents won 41
while the president’s supporters got only 13 seats. Independents won
11, according to final results reported Saturday by state media.

The same agency published the article headlined `Vladi¬mir Putin
returns to Russian presidency weaker than when he left it.’ It says
that Vladimir Putin returns to the Russian presidency Monday in the
throne room of the czars, now a dangerously weakened autocrat. The
protests of December shook his all-powerful countenance, setting off
machinations by the powers behind him who are intent on preserving
their authority and privilege despite demands for democracy and
reform. That conflict portends difficult and uncertain days for
Russia, with Putin pressured to display more muscle than compromise.
By March, when he was elected president with a reported 64 percent of
the vote, doubts had appeared about his legitimacy. Now, few expect
anything but a long, tumultuous road for democratic reform. Many fear
turmoil. No one knows what lies ahead after Monday’s inauguration for
what now is a six-year presidential term. If Putin antagonizes the
hard-liners, an assortment of security and military industrial
insiders among them, he risks plots against him. If he cannot quiet
the protests, he courts a popular upheaval.

The Los Angeles Times reported that Secretary of State Hillary Rodham
Clinton’s three-day trip to India, starting Sunday after a weekend
stop in Bangladesh, comes amid reduced expectations and political
distraction on both sides and a relationship increasingly marked by
incremental movement on a variety of issues. Though India remains an
important ally, few big-ticket nuclear and defense deals that the
United States had hoped for have materialized. India is wary of
becoming too closely aligned with the U.S. to the detriment of its
relations with Russia and Iran. And politics, including the U.S.
presidential campaign and the growing weakness of India’s Congress
Party-led government, has limited the scope of agreements.

The Turkish information agency Hurriyet published the article
subtitled `Armenia heads to polls amid claims of foul play.’ It says
that Armenians are poised to cast their votes on May 6 in a
parliamentary election that looks set to become a battle for supremacy
between the governing party and its current coalition partner, led by
an ultra-rich former arm wrestling champion. Opinion polls suggest
that President Serzh Sarkisian’s Republican Party, which currently
controls the majority of seats in Parliament, is ahead of its ally in
the outgoing coalition ` the Prosperous Armenia Party, led by
millionaire tycoon and former arm wrestler Gagik Tsarukian.
Authorities have pledged an unprecedentedly clean contest for the
131-seat National Assembly in the mountainous country of 3.3 million
people. The general perception among the public, however, tells a
different story.

The same agency reported that As NATO prepares to announce the
completion of the first important phase of its ambitious nuclear
missile defense system during the alliance’s Chicago summit this
month, Turkey’s decision last September to host the early warning
radar system for the shield has proved to be a turning point in the
government’s relations with the West, said Professor Mustafa Aydın,
the rector of Kadir Has University. Aydın is also the head of the
International Relations Council, which has been organizing
brain-storming meetings on security issues in several cities
throughout Turkey on the occasion of Turkey’s 60th year of NATO
membership. By hosting the radars, `the government chooses its side.
It gives the message to the world that Turkey will continue to act
with the West,’ he said. Meanwhile with his recent statement that
Turkey will lead the wave of change in the Middle East, Foreign
Minister Ahmet DavutoÄ?lu has announced the end of the `zero problems
with neighbors’ policy.

The State, South Carolina
May 6 2012

Armenia’s parliamentary vote a test for president
By AVET DEMOURIAN – Associated Press

YEREVAN, Armenia – Armenians voted for a new parliament on Sunday in
an election that the nation’s president hoped would give him a
majority among the lawmakers.

President Serge Sarkisian’s Republican Party was expected to win the
election, but it was aiming for more than half of the seats to avoid
having to form a coalition. The party held 62 of the 131 seats in the
outgoing parliament, just shy of a majority.
The voting also was seen as a test of public support for Sarkisian,
who comes up for re-election next year. Results were expected Monday.

Armenia is the smallest of the former Soviet republics, with about 3.3
million people, but more than double that number of Armenians live
abroad. The largest diasporas are in Russia and the United States.

The Republican Party’s main coalition partner, Prosperous Armenia led
by businessman Gagik Tsarukian, grew increasingly critical of the
president’s party during the campaign in an effort to win enough votes
to force Sarkisian to share power, not only in parliament but also in
the Cabinet.

The opposition Armenian National Congress, led by former President
Levon Ter-Petrosian, also was expected to take seats in parliament.

In casting his ballot early in the day, Ter-Petrosian said he expected
the election would be conducted fairly and if so he would accept the
results. But after polls closed, he said the opposition planned to
protest what he said were violations and might take to the streets.

Ter-Petrosian’s supporters rallied in Yerevan following the February
2008 presidential election, claiming the vote won by Sarkisian was
flawed. The protests turned violent in early March, when clashes with
police left 10 people dead and more than 250 injured.
International observers from the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe said the Armenian government has taken steps in
recent years to foster free and fair elections, including changes to
electoral laws and the introduction of a new online election
monitoring program.

Just under 2.5 million people were eligible to vote in the
parliamentary election, which was contested by nine parties or blocs.

Read more here:

WAMC
May 6 2012

Armenian president’s party set to keep power: exit poll

(REUTERS) –
By Hasmik Lazarian and Margarita Antidze

YEREVAN (Reuters) – President Serzh Sarksyan’s Republican Party will
keep its grip on power after a parliamentary election in Armenia on
Sunday, an exit poll showed after voting ended in the South Caucasus
country.

The exit poll released by Gallup International Association put the
party on course to win more than 44 percent of the votes in an
election that passed off without any of the violence that marred the
last national poll in 2008.

Its main partner in the previous coalition, the Prosperous Armenia
party led by businessman Gagik Tsarukyan, was trailing in second place
on nearly 29 percent of the votes, it showed.

“It’s clear who has won,” Gallup’s Andrey Raychev told Armenia TV
channel, which published the exit poll.

He said the exit poll would be updated within two hours, and the
Central Election Commission is expected to start receiving the first
results from regional polling stations across the country of 3.3
million by midnight (2000 GMT).

Many voters and Armenian leaders had hoped the election would be a
landmark for democracy after voting irregularities marred the last
parliamentary election in 2007 and clashes killed 10 people after the
presidential vote in 2008.

More than 300 international observers from the Organisation for
Security and Cooperation in Europe monitored voting and will give
their initial verdict on Monday.

One observer said privately there had been some violations, but it was
clear how widespread or serious they were.

Ink stamps on the passports of people who had already voted had
disappeared within 15 minutes, giving them the chance to vote again,
the observer, who did not want to be named, said, citing several such
reports.

The exit poll suggested three parties apart from the big two were
likely to win the five percent of votes needed to enter parliament.

The Armenian National Congress, an opposition coalition led by former
President Levon Ter-Petrosyan, might also cross the seven-percent
threshold set for blocs of parties to win seats, it showed.

The Central Election Commission said turnout had passed 51.53 percent
three hours before the polls close.

There were no reports of violence, an encouraging sign for a country
that wants stability to boost the economy, devastated by a war with
neighboring Azerbaijan in the 1990s and then the 2008-2009 global
financial crisis.

Voters trickling to the polls in bright sunshine hoped the election
would be a landmark for democracy after criticism by international
observers over Armenia’s elections since the end of communist rule.

“I hope that not one or two, but several parties will be elected. It
will help there to be discussions in the new parliament and laws
adopted for the sake of people,” Gohar Karapetyan, a 48-year-old
teacher, said after voting at a school built in the Soviet-era and
decorated with the national flag.

The parties have made social problems and economic issues the main
slogans of an election campaign that has been unusually active for
Armenia, Russia’s main ally in the region.

There are no major differences in their economic programs, which call
for more active development of domestic industry and continuation in
cooperation with Russia as well as international financial
organizations.

A blast at a campaign rally injured about 150 people on Friday,
briefly raising fears of violence, but emergency officials said it was
caused by gas-filled balloons exploding.

Armenia nestles high in the mountains of a region that is emerging as
an important transit route for oil and gas exports from the Caspian
Sea to energy-hungry world markets, although it has no pipelines of
its own.

Although a ceasefire was reached in 1994, its conflict with Azerbaijan
over the tiny Nagorno-Karabakh region remains unresolved and a threat
to stability.

Relations with another of its neighbors, Turkey, are also fraught
because Ankara does not recognize the killing of Armenians in Ottoman
Turkey during World War One as genocide.

‘s.party.set.to.keep.power.exit.poll

Also in

Mediamax, Armenia
May 6 2012

62.26% of the voters went to elections, preliminary data says

Yerevan/Mediamax/. According to the preliminary data, 62.26% of the
overall number of voters went to the Armenian parliamentary elections
on May 6.

The data were presented by the President of the Armenian Central
Electoral Commission Tigran Mukuchyan, Mediamax reports.

According to the data provided by the Armenian Central Electoral
Commission, 1mln 559 thousand 627 voters throughout Armenia took part
in the elections as of 20:00.

59.53% of the total number of voters – 484thousand 522 citizens having
the right to vote- took part in the elections in Yerevan.

1mln 319thousand 939 citizens having the right to vote – 57% of the
total number of voters- went to the parliamentary elections in 2007.

In 2003, the turnout of the National Assembly elections made 51%.

Alternative EXIT POLL

11:56 pm | May 06, 2012 | Politics

Kentron TV organized an EXIT POLL with 400 participants in Yerevan on
May 6. Based on the results, Prosperous Armenia Party is in the lead
with 38%, followed by the Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) with 25%.
Out of the participants, 12% cast their votes for the Armenian
National Congress (HAK) and 11% voted for the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation-Dashnaktsutyun (ARF-D). Based on the survey, “Heritage”
Party had 7% of the votes, while the other political parties didn’t
even cross the 5th threshold of the EXIT POLL.

Charbakh resident took bribe and reported

06:45 pm | Today | Official

Press release of the Prosecutor General’s Office

On May 6, the RA Police Shengavit division received a message from a
resident of the 3rd Street in Charbakh district of Yerevan, stating
that the head of the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) headquarters in
his district took his and his wife’s passport data , paid them 20,000
drams and suggested that they vote for the BHK through the
proportional electoral order in the May 6 NA elections and for deputy
candidate Lyova Khachatryan through the majoritarian electoral order
at precinct N 12.

The prepared materials have been sent to the RA Special Investigative
Service and a criminal case has been instigated.

ARFD rep.: CEC decision on permanent stamps violates secret ballot principle

May 6, 2012 – 19:46 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – ARF Dashnaktsutyun representative Armen Rustamyan
commented on Central Election Commission’s decision to replace
vanishing ink stamps in voters’ passports with ordinary permanent
stamps.

As he noted, on May 5, Armenia’s constitutional court refused to
release the list of voters who’ve cast their ballots, citing violation
of secret ballot principle behind the decision. `Having resolved
against vanishing ink stamps, the Central Election Commission has
violated the decision of the constitutional court,’ ARFD
representative said.

Dwelling on the activity of inter-party electoral headquarters,
Rustamyan noted, `without having as much resources as the government
does, we’re basically doing the work which is the government’s duty to
perform.’

French election: Centrist Bayrou backs Francois Hollande

11:59 . 04/05

Centrist leader Francois Bayrou has announced his support for
Socialist candidate Francois Hollande in Sunday’s presidential
election, BBC informs.

Mr Bayrou came fifth in the first round of voting, taking 9.1% of the vote.

If his supporters join him in voting for Mr Hollande, it would deal a
significant blow to Nicholas Sarkozy’s chances for re-election,
especially when the opinion polls show that the socialist candidate is
ahead Nikolas Sarkozy.

Front National candidate Marine Le Pen, who was the third in the first
round, has already said she will support neither Mr Sarkozy, nor his
rival in the second round. It was expected that she might support
Sarkozy, passing him the 18% of votes she got.

Today, it is the last day of the election campaign in France. Tomorrow
it is a day of silence here and after the end of the May 6
presidential elections France’s future president will become known.