Author: Kanayan Tamar

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

A. Sargsyan said law enforcement bodies must fix vote buying

18:20 06/05/2012 » Politics

`Army is the most active voter, particularly in Syunik. The voting
process is assessed normally, people have got used to the new
technique – votes are bought,’ head of Democratic Party of Armenia
Aram Sargsyan told Panorama.am commenting on the election
infringements.

`Buses and microbuses full of voters are driving to the polling
stations, and votes are bought. But those facts should be fixed by the
law enforcement bodies, not by us,’ said Mr Sargsyan.

Source: Panorama.am

Fire spreads in downtown Yerevan because of emergency service’s delay

NEWS.AM
May 06, 2012 | 17:34

YEREVAN. – A fire broke out in downtown Yerevan at 3.20 p.m. on
Sunday, neighbors told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Emergency service workers came to the scene with 45- minute delay.
Neighbors called the emergency service several times and were informed
that a squad had already been sent.

One of the neighbors told Armenian News-NEWS.am that the ambulance had
arrived earlier to the scene then the firefighters. The neighbors also
informed that at first the fire was not serious and spread because of
the firemen’s delay. The causes of the fire are not known yet.

Earlier Armenian News-NEWS.am reported that, a fire broke out in
downtown Yerevan on Sunday as a result of which an elderly man died. 4
firefighting squads went to the scene. The rescuers brought the burned
corpse of a 75-year-old man out of the burning building. The man’s
identity is not known yet.

V. Oskanian expresses concerns over vote handling

04:29 pm | Today | Politics

Armenia’s ex-Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian has expressed serious
concern over the conduct of parliamentary elections in the country.

It is already an hour I have been at the central headquarters of the
Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) and I must say that calls regarding
election violations and other infractions do not stop for a second.
Most of the calls have been about the disappearing ink stamps. It
turns out that the some polling stations are still using the previous
stamps. We have also received reports about voter crowding in and
around polling stations, even ahead of opening of the polls. All this
shows that we have to deal with well-planned operations.

At present, we can say that the authorities failed to keep their
decreed promise – to conduct free and fair elections. They do not even
honour their pledges. This makes us conclude that the authorities are
attempting to rig the elections. However, I am still hopeful that they
will intervene with the rigging and stop it as long as there is time,
otherwise, the political parties participating in the elections will
draw corresponding conclusions on the legitimacy of the parliamentary
elections.

No matter what percentage I receive, I will not disappear – Prosperous
Armenia Party leader

news.am
May 06, 2012 | 12:37

Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) Chairman Gagik Tsarukyan cast his
ballot, during Sunday’s National Assembly elections, at the same
precinct where he is also running as the precinct’s sole
single-mandate MP candidate. He was accompanied by his family members.

After voting, Tsarukyan spoke with news reporters and noted: `It is
clear that there will be shortfalls. But everything is being done to
immediately regulate these shortcomings.’

`Today’s important conditions are the change, the condition, and the
opportunities. But this can be done by someone who is aware of the
situation and is empowered to change.

The people have been told that they are the ones who determine their
future. They all must take part in the elections today, in order to
secure free and transparent elections,’ Gagik Tsarukyan told news
reporters.

The PAP leader also informed that he will tour the Party campaign
headquarters throughout the day to `listen to what problem is where,
so as to immediately regulate [it], to attempt so that there will not
be serious incidents.’

And with respect to election results, the PAP leader said: `No matter
what percentage Tsarukyan receives, this will not mean Tsarukyan will
disappear. The people’s frustration must be broken and faith must be
instilled toward the elections.’

Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) is a political power included in the
ruling coalition.

Founded by Armenia’s largest businessman Gagik Tsarukyan, the party
debuted in the 2007 parliamentary elections, winning 29 seats in the
131-seat National Assembly.

The proportional list of the party includes 165 names. The PAP has
also nominated MP candidates with the majority election system.

Prosperous Armenia Party’s election campaign slogan is: `Believe,
trust, demand!’

ANC Coordinator: Situation with ink stamps organized electoral fraud

arminfo
Sunday, May 6, 16:23

It has become obvious since the very beginning of voting today that
ink stamps in the passports of the citizens who have already voted
disappear within 25 minutes. Stamps that are the key instrument to
prevent double voting do not work, Levon Zurabyan, Coordinator of the
Armenian National Congress, told
ArmInfo.

He said that groups of voters bribed by the Republican Party of
Armenia were delivered to polling stations by buses and cars. All
this testifies to a well-organized electoral fraud. Only after voting
of those big groups of bribed citizens, polling stations were charged
by the Central Electoral Commission to replace inkpots, Zurabyan said.

He said that ANC received reports also on violent treatment, beating
of authorized persons of ANC and Prosperous Armenia Party at the
polling stations No. 26. 27 and 28 in the electoral district No.24
(Martuni, Gegharkunik region), as well as reports on breaking of video
cameras.

Zurabyan said that the community head in the Village of Drakhtik,
Gegharkunik region, accompanied voters to the voting cabin and helped
them vote considering that they are allegedly illiterate.

OSCE PA observers not to comment on elections till press conference

news.am
May 06, 2012 | 15:35

YEREVAN.- Observers of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly mission will
not comment on the election process till a press conference held on
Monday, head of delegation Francois Xavier de Donnea told journalists.

Member of the delegation Neil Simon told the Armenian News-NEWS.am
reporter that the observers are engaged in monitoring the polling
stations. `We met with election participants on Friday,’ he added.

In total, 31,418 observers from 53 local organizations and 647
representatives from 11 international organizations and embassies
accredited in Armenia are monitoring the parliamentary elections.

Eight political parties and one block have presented their nominations
– Republican Party of Armenian, Prosperous Armenia Party, Orinats
Yerkir, opposition Armenian National Congress, opposition Heritage
Party, ARF Dashnaktsutyun, the Communist Party of Armenia, Democratic
Party of Armenia and United Armenians Party.

For entering a 131-seat National Assembly, parties must poll over 5%
of votes, while blocks – over 7%.