Raffi Hovannisyan has already cast his presidential election ballot in Armenia

YEREVAN, February 18. /ARKA/. Armenian presidential contender Raffi Hovannisyan has cast his ballot in the presidential vote and urged the current president to recognize that it is the people who won, Novosti-Armenia reported.

Today presidential vote is being held in Armenia at a total of 1,988 ballot stations.

“It is now obvious that Armenia and the Armenian people observe their spiritual sunrise. It is the most crucial day in the country’s modern history. For the first time over the last 20 years, the Armenian people will observe victory of not a single person and a defeat of another one, but their own victory”, Hovannisyan told journalists at 10/06 ballot station of the capital.

The candidate greeted his competitors and said, no doubt, the people have made their choice.

“I urge my main rival, the current president of Armenia, to recognize the victory of the people. That recognition will become even a greater deed than what he contributed to Artsakh liberation war”, Hovannisyan said.   

The candidate also reported that his election campaign office has been receiving information about falsifications and violations during the ballot, particularly about second ballots and electoral bribing.

Hovannisyan said he will spent the whole day with his family, will visit his election campaign office and will give a final appraisal at a political rally tomorrow, on February 19, 17:00.

According to the police, 2,505,908 voters were included on Armenia’s electoral register as of February 8.

A total of 6,251 representatives of 26 local NGOs and 632 observers from twelve international organizations will be watching the presidential ballot. In particular, the international observers’ missions are from OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, CIS mission, OSCE 

Parliamentary Assembly, CE Parliamentary Assembly, CIS Interparliamentary Assembly, International expert Center for Electoral Systems (ICES) and International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES).

Under the Armenian law, preliminary outcome of the vote is to be announced not later that February 19, 20:00; the final results are to be ready within seven days.

Seven contenders are running for the country’s president today: incumbent president Serzh Sargsyan, former prime minister and leader of Freedom 

party Hrant Bagratyan, former foreign minister and leader of Heritage party Raffi Hovhannisyan, well-known Soviet dissident and leader of National Self-Determination party Paruyr Hayrikyan, ex foreign minister of Karabakh Arman Melikyan, political scientist and head of Radio Hay Andrias Ghukasyan and specialist in epic studies Vardan Sedrakyan.  -0-