Violations recorded in snap parliamentary elections, alarms from polling stations
Since early this morning, 168.am has been receiving alarms about electoral processes that are proscribed by the Electoral Code of the Republic of Armenia.
Thus, 168.am has been receiving alarms from voters stating that there are attempts to guide voters at certain polling stations in the city of Yerevan.
In particular, members of the electoral commission granting ballots to voters at the polling station stationed at Nikol Aghbalyan School #19 in Kentron District are violating the 1-11 sequence of ballots by placing ballot #4 on top of the other ballots.
Let us remind that #4 is the number of the My Step Alliance.
Let us note that ballot #4 may not be placed above the other ballots in any case, and this can be viewed as a specific attempt of guidance.
168.am also received an alarm about the fact that people have been posting the campaign leaflets of Davit Sanasaryan on the doors of apartments in precinct #4 of Kentron Administrative District since this morning.
The voter, who had called 168.am, added that the same leaflets were being distributed to people in front of “Mush” store located on Hanrapetutyun Street.
Let us remind that Head of the State Control Service Davit Sanasaryan is a rating candidate for Deputy of the National Assembly nominated by the My Step Alliance at precinct #4.
168.am received an alarm about another case of illegal election campaigning from the city of Hrazdan.
In an interview with 168.am, residents of apartment buildings in Hrazdan said that supporters of the My Step Alliance had distributed campaign materials today — something that is strictly prohibited by the Electoral Code.
This time, the campaign was carried out in favor of Vagharshak Hakobyan, who is a rating candidate nominated by the My Step Alliance.
Political parties are also sounding the alarm about electoral violations.
Thus, Ara Markosyan, who is a rating candidate nominated by the Christian-Democratic Rebirth Party, is on the 5th ballot instead of the 6th ballot on the voting day.
“Ara Markosyan, a rating candidate nominated by the Christian-Democratic Rebirth Party at all polling stations of 3/03 Arabkir Administrative District, was #6 on the list released by the Central Electoral Commission, and now he is #5 on the list. He had prepared his campaign advertisements for #6, and now he is #5,” the political party’s representatives told 168.am.
As for Gevorg Sukiasyan, one of the candidates nominated by the Christian-Democratic Rebirth Party in Lori Province on the ratings list, he went from #6 to #7 on the ballot. “I was 6/6, today we saw that I am 6/7 in the entire province,” Gevorg Sukiasyan told 168.am.
The press office of Vahram Baghdasaryan, candidate for Deputy nominated by the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), issued a press release stating that violations had been observed at several polling stations in Vanadzor.
“Voters are performing overtly instructed actions in the presence of proxies at several polling stations in Vanadzor, holding ballot #4 in one hand and the package of the remaining ballots in the other hand, and after approaching the voting booth, they stay in the viewing field of the proxies, place the clearly kept package of ballots in the section for unused ballots and cast the already known ballot,” the press release reads.
Arpine Hovhannisyan, who is #2 on the RPA proportional electoral list, declared the following:
“We have received alarms that are being compiled at the RPA central headquarters. Currently, what is more troubling is the fact and the type of alarms that refer to cases of dissemination of campaign materials by supporters of the My Step Alliance and the cases of guidance. Voters are guided and shown how to cast ballots, or the members of the electoral commission place the ballot of the My Step Alliance on top of the other ballots, or the campaign materials of Davit Sanasaryan were being disseminated today. Currently, all these alarms are being compiled. Later, the alarms will be distinguished according to the types of violations and we will issue a statement. All the electoral violations that characterized the previous elections can be seen during these elections.”
According to head of the RPA pre-election headquarters Davit Harutyunyan, these elections are no different from the elections held in 2017. “The atmosphere of hatred that was formed in Armenia during this election campaign and the division of society between blacks and whites were unprecedented, and unfortunately, this is a step back in terms of content,” D. Harutyunyan said.
Deputy candidate of the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) Naira Zohrabyan has sounded the alarm about the voting guided by Governor of Syunik Province Hunan Poghosyan and the heads of communities of the province.
“I am addressing Governor of Syunik Province Hunan Poghosyan, all the mayors and community heads of the province who are overtly guiding residents to go and vote in favor of the candidates of the My Step Alliance. Mr. Poghosyan, you have loyally served Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan, and now you are trying to give lip service to Nikol Pashinyan. I am certain that the Prime Minister has not instructed you to be more Catholic than the Pope and gather the community heads and instruct them to work in favor of the candidates of the My Step Alliance,” Zohrabyan declared, emphasizing the fact that she is calling the attention of the Chairman of the Central Electoral Commission and the Government to the activities of the Governor of Syunik Province.
“I don’t want to sound rude, but if you think you will be able to continue to hold office by securing the maximum number of votes, then I believe that what Nikol Pashinyan said in Sisyan, stating that he doesn’t need any guided vote and that nobody should think about continuing to hold office by guiding voters, I want to believe that the Prime Minister is righteous,” Naira Zohrabyan declared.
ARMINE VARDANYAN
