Voters in Artskah will be provided with disposable masks, gloves and pens
30.03.2020,
18:30
Voters in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) who will go to the polling stations on March 31 to elect a president and a new parliament will be provided with disposable masks, gloves and pens because of the coronavirus outbreak, the head of the local Central Election Commission Srbuhi Arzumanyan said at during an online press conference on Monday.
YEREVAN, March 30. /ARKA/. Voters in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) who will go to the polling stations on March 31 to elect a president and a new parliament will be provided with disposable masks, gloves and pens because of the coronavirus outbreak, the head of the local Central Election Commission Srbuhi Arzumanyan said at during an online press conference on Monday.
She said the Artsakh authorities have taken all the measures to protect the voters' health. Arzumanyan said that members of the commissions, journalists, observers and all those participating in the election process will also be provided with masks, gloves and pens.
She said that as of January 1, 2020, the number of voters increased to 103,663. In her words, the voter turnout at the elections in Artsakh is usually high amounting to about 65-70%.
She said also that the Artsakh Central Election Commission has accredited 963 observers and 231 media representatives.
"For the first time, due to objective reasons - I mean the coronavirus epidemic - 140 observers from 38 countries and 40 media representatives were not able to arrive to observe our elections," she said.
When asked whether the absence of international observers may influence the election process, Arzumanyan said about 1000 local observers will be watching the process in every each polling station.
'If we add to this number also media representatives, some of whom will be monitoring the polls remotely, there can be no questions regarding the legitimacy of the elections," said Arzumanyan.
More than a dozen of candidates are running for the post of president of Artskah and several parties and blocs are contesting for parliament seats.-0-
