Armenia’s CEC unveils final official results of presidential election

YEREVAN, February 25. / ARKA /. The Central Election Commission (CEC) of Armenia has announced today the final official results of the February 18 presidential elections.

According to  data, unveiled by CEC chairman Tigran Mukuchyan, the incumbent president Serzh Sargsyan had received 861,373 votes or 58.64% of the vote and was reelected for the second five-year term.

Raffi Hovannisian, head of the opposition Zharangutyun (Heritage) party, came in second with 36.74% of the vote or 539,693 votes.

Hrant Bagratyan received 31,643 votes or 2.15% of the vote, Paruyr Hayrikian - 18,096 votes, or 1.23%, Andrias Ghukasyan - 8,329 votes or 0.57%, Arman Melikyan - 3,520 votes or 0.24% and Vardan Setrakian - 6,210 votes or 0.42%.

According to the CEC, out of 2,528,050 eligible voters some 1,521,489 people, or 60.18%  went to the polls.

Territorial election commissions had been given 2,579,000 ballots of which 1,057,779  were given to voters. Of them 50,976 ballots were declared invalid.

The election was watched by 6,251 representatives of 26 local non-governmental  organizations and 632 observers from twelve international organizations, including OSCE/ ODIHR, CIS Mission, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly, International Expert Center for Electoral Systems (ICES) and the International Fund Electoral Systems (IFES). -0-