Opposition Armenian National Congress urges international community to stop “babysitting” authorities

YEREVAN, February 20. /ARKA/. Opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC) made a statement Tuesday urging the international community and observer missions in particular to stop “babysitting the delinquent Armenian authorities” and providing them with legislative “tricks” in a form of reforms.

“It is now the time to understand that the flaw of the Armenian elections is not the shortcomings in the law, various violations and illegalities, but the systemized mechanisms such as inclusion of about 700,000 people not living in Armenia onto the voters’ lists and unwillingness of the authorities to take efficient measures against repeated voting”, says ANC’s statement.

The document also pointed to a number of violations in the presidential elections held Monday, such as voter bribing, inaccurate voter lists, use of force against reporters and proxies, stamp ink disappearing from voter passports.

According to the ballot count results from all 1,988 polling stations Armenia’s incumbent president Sezrh Sargsyan gained 861,378 votes or 58.64% and won the re-election Monday. Raffi Hovannisian polled 539,674 votes or 36.74%, Hrant Bagratyan - 31,643 votes or 2.15%, Paruyr Hayrikyan - 18,093 votes or 1.23%, Andrias Ghukasyan - 8,328 votes or 0.57%, Arman Melikyan - 3,520 votes or 0.24% and Vardan Sedrakyan – 6,203 votes or 0.42%. 

CIS and European observers gave a positive opinion of the presidential elections in Armenia, called them democratic and legitimate, noting some violations, which had no impact on the election results though.

Armenian National Congress founded on August 1, 2008, is headed by the first president of independent Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan. The ANC consists of about a dozen of political parties and organizations. The Congress holds seven seats in the parliament. In December 2012 the Congress said it would not be nominating a candidate for president. –0--