Armenia’s CEC says problem of poorly visible stamps in voters’ passports is fixed

YEREVAN, May 6. /ARKA/. The Chairman of Armenia’s Central Electoral Commission (CEC) told the journalists that the problem of poorly detected stamp in the passports of voters after their polling was technical and has been already fixed.

In compliance with the 66th article of Armenia’s Electoral Code, the electoral districts are provided with special kind of ink that will be clearly visible in the ID documents of voters (passports) for 12 hours. After that the stamp disappears. 

“Before stamping, the ink should be shaken and only then used. Even though the electoral commission members have been warned about that some of them still neglected the rules. However, the stamp was still visible, quite poorly though,” Mukuchyan said at the press conference.

He noted that the problem was noticed at some polling stations, but it is solved now. 

Earlier on Sunday, Arman Musinyan, the spokesman for the leader of Armenian National Congress Levon Ter-Petrosyan, declared that the stamps in the passports of those who voted disappear earlier than in 12 hours. 

The parliamentary elections in Armenia are being held on Sunday in 1982 polling stations which will be open till 20:00.

Armenia's Central Electoral Commission (CEC) has registered eight political parties and one electoral bloc for the May 6 parliamentary elections, which will compete for 90 proportional seats in the National Assembly. Besides the three coalition parties - the Republican Party of Armenia, Bargavach Hayastan (Prosperous Armenia) and Orinats Yerkir, there also the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF), Zharangutyun (Heritage), which has a combined list with Free Democrats, the Armenian National Congress (electoral bloc), the Democratic Party of Armenia, the Armenian Communist Party and the United Armenians party that are included in the ballots.

Total of 137 candidates will compete for 41 majoritarian seats in the parliament, and the two precincts will hold uncontested elections.

In compliance with the Electoral Code of Armenia parties should gain at least 5% of votes and a bloc- 7% to receive seats in the parliament. -0-