“Violence, guiding, forgery”: observers’ assessment is strict (video)
The quality of holding Yerevan Council of Elders elections was lower compared with that of the parliamentary elections. Observer organizations record, in the polling stations and their neighborhood there was violent atmosphere, observers’ work was hindered. Daniel Ioannisyan, member of “Independent observer” initiative says, “For example in 6/09, 8/19 polling stations violence was used against our observers, in a number of other polling stations, 3/11, 3/19, 9/03, the observers were threatened.” There were false observers in the polling stations, who weren’t supposed to follow the work of the committee, but guide the voting process of citizens. Such a case was revealed in 8/36 polling station. Yelk alliance member Anahit Bakhshyan revealed it, “These women have no right to participate as observers, as their names aren’t included in the organizations.” False observers, according to the trustee of Yelk alliance Tatev Khachatryan, were involved in vote rigging, “Two observers in many cases guided the people, and they did it together with the members of the committee and trustees.” False observers, who had been revealed, hurried to leave 8/36 polling station. Observer organizations also witnessed such cases. According to the words of human rights activist Arthur Sakunts, free will of voters was widely suppressed. “During Yerevan Council of Elders elections, the voters weren’t free to make their choice not only in the polling booth, but also in terms of coming to voting.” Violence was used also against journalists. Alarms on vote rigging, as well as violent atmosphere aren’t paid appropriate attention by the law enforcement bodies. Tigran Yegoryan, project coordinator of Europe in Law Association, is sure, “The state displays intolerance towards the people, who struggle for protection of rights, and they are persecuted.” Observer organizations are displeased with the inactivity of the CEC, which didn’t react to the facts on vote rigging in an appropriate way. For example, false observers were allowed to enter the polling stations. Human rights activist Arthur Sakunts notes, “The Central Electoral Commission is a tool for the Republican Party of Armenia. It must make decisions and act according to the interests of the HHK.” Tigran Yegoryan agrees to that viewpoint, “It is complete usurpation of power by one party in all the levels of the authority.” The observer organizations are sure that the registered vote rigging cases essentially affected the results of Yerevan Council of Elders elections.
