Author: Kanayan Tamar

Al-Manar TV (Hezbolla), Lebanon
May 6 2012

Greece, Armenia, Serbia Braced for Vote amid Economic Challenges
Local Editor
Poll stations in Greece, Armenia and Serbia opened on Sunday, amid
economic challenges in the countries.

General elections started in Greece on Sunday, after a campaign marked
by public anger over swinging austerity cuts.
Interior ministry announced polluting stations opened at 7:00 am (0400
GMT), and it’s due to end at 7:00pm, with the first exit polls
expected soon after. The first official results are not expected much
before 11:00 pm.

After two years of cuts, opinion polls suggest voters are set to
punish Greece’s two main parties for having agreed to more
belt-tightening in return for two international bailouts worth 240
billion Euros ($314.0 billion).
That prospect worries international lenders such as the European Union
and the International Monetary Fund, who fear that the resulting
political instability could plunge the eurozone back into crisis.

Both Greece’s Pasok socialist party and the New Democracy
conservatives, the dominant political forces for the past four
decades, look likely to lose votes to around 30 smaller parties.
Some of those parties are openly hostile to the cuts imposed by the
previous administration in return for the international loans.

SERBIA VOTE OVERSHADOWED BY ECONOMY
Meanwhile, Serbians voted Sunday for a new president and parliament
after a campaign dominated by economic issues, pitting pro-European
President Boris Tadic against conservative populist Tomislav Nikolic.

Surveys have put Tadic and Nikolic neck-and-neck in the presidential
race, with their parties also running close in the parliamentary
elections.

The elections are seen as a turning point for Serbia because for the
first time in almost two decades they are focused on economy rather
than the Balkan conflicts that left Belgrade internationally isolated
for much of the past two decades.

Both camps support Serbia’s EU membership bid while breakaway Kosovo,
which overshadowed the last polls, has been pushed to the background
by concerns about Serbia’s stumbling economy and record unemployment.

ARMENIA VOTE
In Armenia, parliamentary elections kicked off on Sunday amid a battle
for supremacy between the governing party and its coalition partner,
led by a wealthy former arm wrestling champion.

“We expect highly active participation,” Armen Khazarian, head of the
commission at one polling station in Yerevan, told AFP.
It is the biggest test of the ex-Soviet state’s democratic credentials
since disputed presidential elections in 2008, when mass rallies ended
in clashes between riot police and opposition supporters that left 10
people dead.

The authorities in the impoverished country of 3.3 million people have
promised an unprecedentedly clean contest for the 131-seat National
Assembly in the hope of avoiding further political turmoil.

Mediamax, Armenia
May 6 2012

ANC, PAP and ARFD position to be announced tomorrow

Yerevan/Mediamax/. The position of the Joint Headquarters is likely to
be announced already tomorrow.

Member of the Supreme Body of ARFD Armen Rustamyan said tonight that
the members of the Joint Headquarters – ANC, ARFD and PAP – are
currently getting information from the election districts.

`Each party will discuss the data on its own and we will compare them
in the Joint Headquarters then’, said Armen Rustamyan.

ANC coordinator Levon Zurabyan said that the Congress planned to hold
a rally on May 8 already before elections.

Covert propaganda at the polling stations

10:51 pm | May 06, 2012 | Politics

Bjni mineral water bottles with the logo of the Republican Party of
Armenia (HHK) on the label were distributed to voters during the
elections at the polling stations of precinct N 1.

We remind that the owner of Bjni mineral water factory is Ruben
Hayrapetyan, who is also running in this precinct.

Mediamax, Armenia
May 6 2012

Exit poll gives ruling party 44 per cent in Armenian parliamentary election

Yerevan, 6 May: As of the preliminary results of the exit poll
conducted in Armenia today (data of 18:00 [1400 gmt, two hours before
the polls closed]), the Republican Party of Armenia is the leader by
the number of votes.

An exit poll has been conducted among 25 thousand voters of Armenia
today upon Armenia TV company’s request. It has been conducted by
Gallup International Association.

According to the preliminary data presented on Armenia TV Company’s
air, the votes distribution is as follows:

Republican Party of Armenia – 44.4 per cent
Prosperous Armenia Party – 28.8 per cent
Armenian National Congress – 6.33 per cent
Orinats Yerkir [Law-Governed Country] – 6.14 per cent
Heritage -5.92 per cent
[Armenian Revolutionary Federation] Dashnaktutsyun – 5.18 per cent
Armenian Communist Party – 2.2 per cent
Armenian Democratic Party – 0.51 per cent.

PRESS RELEASE
The Heritage Party
31 Moscovian Street, Suite 172
Yerevan, Armenia
Tel.: (+374 – 10) 53.69.13
Fax: (+374 – 10) 53.26.97
Email: [email protected]
Website:

06 May 2012

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 Seda Safaryan.
– `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 Anahit Bakhshyan 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 Epraqsya
Matevosyan 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 Anahit Bakhshyan has called RA
General Prosecutor’s Office in connection with this and informed
prosecutor Koryun Piloyan 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 Anahit Bakhshyan the Heritage
proxy person has the recorded video.
– According to the information got to Anahit Bakhshyan 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 Artashisyan Street.
– At 12:50 the proxy person of the `Heritage’ party Varduhi Ohanyan
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 secretary have 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. Anahi tBakhshyan was informed about that
by the `Heritage’ representatives.
– `Heritage’ proxy person Samvel Hayrapetyan 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.
– Zaruhi Postanjyan has alerted that in the 4/12 polling station about
600 rural voters have 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 Rouben Hovsepyan several times have
exceeded the allowed number (they have been more than one). This has
been recorded by 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

ARDF rep. slams Prosperous Armenia, ANC, Dashnaktsutyun bribe rumors

May 6, 2012 – 18:23 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – A representative of ARF Dashnaktsutyun (ARFD) at
inter-party headquarters formed to counter electoral violations
commented on the statement of Heritage opposition party, suggesting
electoral bribes were distributed by Prosperous Armenia, Armenian
National Congress (ANC) opposition bloc and ARFD.

According to Spartak Seyranyan the rumors above were spread in
response to information on violations committed by Republican Party of
Armenia.

Seyranyan slammed the rumors and negative propaganda on election day
as a provocation and a gross violation of electoral law.

Radio Liberty Reporter Says She Was Assaulted Outside Polling Station
Kristine Aghalaryan

hetq
17:24, May 6, 2012

A female reporter for Radio Liberty, Elina Chilingaryan, says that one
of a group of young men outside the Erebuni 12/33 polling station
attacked her as she was taking pictures.

Chilingaryan claims the youth hit her and snatched the camera after it
fell during the scuffle.

The reporter then informed the police who told her that they would
most likely launch a criminal investigation.

She says that the driver of a commuter minivan parked nearby told her
that they had been ferrying passengers to the polling station.

FM issues statement on Azerbaijan’s chairmanship at UN Security Council
Tue 01 May 2012 13:23 GMT | 14:23 Local Time

MFA of Azerbaijan
Since 1 May, Azerbaijan as a non-permanent member of the UN Security
Council will chair this structure within this month, according to the
statement of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.
The statement says that during the chairmanship, Azerbaijan will bring
onto the agenda of the Security Council issues such as the processes
in the Middle East, Africa and the Balkans, including peace and
security issues being in the center of world’s attention, the fight
against terrorism and conflict resolution.

As noted by the President of Azerbaijan Republic Ilham Aliyev, “in the
Security Council, first of all we will protect and defend
international law and justice”, Gun.Az reported.

As chairman of the Security Council and as a country that has suffered
from terrorism, Azerbaijan plans to hold high-level meeting on
“Threats to peace and security posed by acts of terrorism”. In
addition, during its chairmanship, Azerbaijan plans to hold meetings
related to various issues, and discuss major challenges that the
international community faces,” the statement says.

News.Az

Oskanian: Prosperous Armenia to take a decision after elections

May 6, 2012 – 18:12 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Former Foreign Minister of Armenia, now ranking
second in the electoral list of the coalition Prosperous Armenia
party, Vartan Oskanian did not clearly state whether his party sees
itself in the opposition or the ruling camp after May 6 elections.

According to Oskanian, Prosperous Armenia is an alternative to the
ruling party [Republican Party of Armenia].

`We cooperate with ANC and ARF Dashnaktsutyun to ensure fair
elections. If we fail in this, we will have to take a political
decision. Time will show what happens next,’ he said.

Armenian chess-players in various championships

Armenian GM Varuzhan Akobian is going to take part in USA Championship
that will be held on May 8-20, 2012, in Saint Louis. His rivals will
be 11 grandmasters, particularly Nakamura, Kamsky, Onischuk, Seirawan.
Armchess.am informs about this.

Armenian WGM Tatev Abrahamyan is going to take part in USA Women’s
Championship that will be held on the same days in Saint Louis. Among
her rivals are WGMs Zatonskih, Krush, Foisor, Baginskaite.
Armenian GM Hrant Melkumyan has scored 2 points after 2 rounds and is
leading at Bosna 2012 Tournament that is being held in Sarajevo,
Bosnia and Herzegovina.

06.05.12, 18:33