Elections fail to fix real balance of forces: Dashnaktsutyun

YEREVAN, 8 May. /ARKA/. The past parliamentary elections failed to fix the will of the people and the real balance of forces, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) Party, said in a statement today.

President Serge Sargsyan-led Republican Party will enjoy a clear majority in the next National Assembly, having won some 44 percent of the May 6 vote, according to official data published by the Central Elections Commission.

"Unfortunately, the elections did not fix the will of the people and the real balance of political forces. There was no doubt that wholesale vote rigging had been planned beforehand and took place on May 6 and in the previous days outside the polling centers," the statement says.

The statement lambastes the ruling party for using the notorious administrative resource and what it described as ‘unprecedented large-scale funding that transformed into massive voter buying."

"That voter buying d had a decisive influence on the election results is an indisputable fact. These realities suggest that the vast majority of Armenian citizens, who are powerless and alienated from the state, did not make a free and conscious choice," the statement says.

The statement emphasizes that the de-politicization of the people, poverty and misery are to be blame for the reproduction of the incumbent regime.

"It also means that the political forces, including Dashnaktsutyun, have not yet been able to make their country fellows to understand that a free exercise of will is inherent in them," it says, adding that the party is determined to continue the fighting for full change of power.

The Prosperous Armenia party led by businessman Gagik Tsarukian was second in the polls with about 30 percent. Ex-president Levon Ter-Petrossian's Armenian National Congress had 7.1 percent of the vote, former foreign minister Raffi Hovhannisian-led Heritage party - 5.8 percent, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnakstutyun - 5.7 percent, and Republican-allied Orinats Yerkir Party - 5.3 percent. With the president's party also winning nearly thirty of 41 majoritarian election races, the Republicans are now likely to control about 70 out of 131 seats; Prosperous Armenia will control about 36 seats (including eight won in majoritarian races) and all other parties combined about 25 seats.-0-