Armenia’s authorities use government machine for election violations, Ter-Petrosyan claims

YEREVAN, February 20. /ARKA/. Armenia’s authorities are using the machine of the government for election violations, Grigor Harutyunyan, member of the election staff of Armenia’s first president Levon Ter-Petrosyan told reporters.

“We have made an unambiguous assessment of the developments: the authorities will not be able to follow this way, and the people will defend their right to vote,” he said.

According to Harutyunyan, at the polling stations located in the villages of Aknakhbyur and Lusadzor, Tavush region, where a large number of servicemen are registered, the commanders of military units in civilian clothes supervised the voting process as if they represented the Institute of Free Society NGO.

“Moreover, the polling booth was located so as the commanders could immediately see the voting process,” he said.

Another member of Ter-Petrosyan’s election staff Nikol Pashinyan pointed out that that the staff continues receiving numerous reports on violations throughout Armenia.

At polling stations ##7/11 and 7/12 in the Malatia-Sebastia community, proxies for Ter-Petrosyan “were beaten and thrown out.” At polling station #8/12 the proxy for Arman Melikyan was subjected to assault and battery, Pashinyan said.

He also pointed out that at polling stations ##11/05, 11/07,11/10, 12/31, 13/01, 13/02, 7/17, 7/18 and 7/21 ballot-box stuffing took place.

The representatives of Ter-Petrosyan’s election staff also said that all the violations were recorded, and the facts will be submitted to the relevant authorities.

The presidential election was held in Armenia on February 19. By 8:00 p.m. local time, 1,642,057 or 69.26% of the voters had participated in the voting. –0--