Today CEC Chairman Artak Sahradyan handed MP mandates to the newly elected Members of Parliament in the sitting hall of government. Beforehand he informed that “Justice” Bloc and “National Unity” Party MPs will get their mandates through their representatives. An hour before the ceremony of mandate handing Aghvan Vartanyan and David Lokyan, elected by the ARF proportional list had rejected their mandates. Mr Vartanyan...

14 candidates of “Justice” Bloc, headed by Stepan Demirchyan, put in a claim to the Constitutional Court of Armenia demanding to declare invalid 2003’ parliamentary elections of majority election procedure. The plaintiffs are sure that the Constitution of Armenia, the 21st article of the Declaration of Human Rights and other laws, were broken at the parliamentary elections . During the elections...

“Why we haven’t expressed our judgement about the recent elections so far”, asks leader of Union for Self-determination Paruyr Hayrikyan and answers “we were waiting until all political and non-political activists make public theirs”. “The republic’s current authorities formed the parliament tailored to them”, he told journalists at today’s briefing. He also spoke about election irregularities such as bribery and fraud...

After a long break “Justice” Bloc held an ordinary rally near Matenadaran on June 6. Albert Bazeyan, Hrant Khachatryan, Suren Abrahamyan, Aram Sargssyan, Arshak Sadoyan, Stepan Demirchyan and others made speeches. They talked about the parliamentary elections, the further activity of the bloc, saying they enter the Parliament with a determined aim – to amend the Law on Referendum in order that the Trust Referendum set by Constitutional...

“Everything good in the world is round”, “National Conciliation” Party Chair Aram Harutyunyan thinks so. He is sure that’s why justice has no corners, as it is round. Since justice in Armenian reality has corners, Aram Harutyunyan doesn’t look for justice after elections. He announces electoral terrorists appeared at the pre-election period in Armenia, and Harutyunyan considers death penalty as the only punishment for them. “Who...

“At the sitting of PACE Bureau the issue on the 2 last elections in Armenia was discussed, and it was decided to introduce that issue only within the bureau activity, i.e, PACE alone won’t refer to our elections” , Parliament Vice-Speaker Tigran Torosyan has told today in National Press Club. According to him, our only problem with CE is capital punishment. Torosyan stated deadline for abolition of death penalty changed, “the end of the...

In 10 days after parliamentary elections Armenian Democratic-Liberal Union eventually make attempt to explain in statement why it didn’t manage to win even dismal 5% of vote. ”The DLU is convinced votes cast for the party exceeded the number announced by Central Election Commission. So far, the union refrains from premature judgement of election process and intends to settle the problem through Constitutional Court”, the statement says....

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“Justice” bloc said at today’s news conference that it intends to continue struggle for legitimate power in National Assembly. However, the alliance doesn’t rule out boycott as means of struggle. The Justice-backed MPs can boycott some issue discussion, vote or session. It may arise necessity to put their MP mandates down. This kind of steps was found risky though “Republic” party insists that this is decent outcome, the party leader Albert...

U.S. expressed satisfaction at OSCE mission’s work in Yerevan calling it “effective” and especially stressing “very fruitful efforts in supporting reforms and strengthening polling process basis in Armenia”. In his statement made on May 29 at the OSCE Standing Council in Vienna, the head of the U.S. mission Duglas Davidson commented on the OSCE Yerevan office head, ambassador Roy Reeve’s report. Speaking on recent Armenian parliamentary...

Arshak Sadoyan saw a quite another phenomenon at the parliamentary elections - Authorities sold the Legislative Power to the oligarchs . Mr Sadoyan announced beginning from that moment ”we have 3 bodies of absurd and illegitimate power“. Sadoyan used to know that Authorities privatised the public property to enrich their pockets. At today’s press conference he accused CEC of selling “the Parliament of state”. Sadoyan pointed to...

”Ignorance for the Constitution draft put to referendum by the president was the most eloquent one of distrust shown by the citizens of Armenia to the president. It will make him try to replace the post he holds by another authoritative body”. It’s a citation from the statement of “National Unity Vow” social and political organisation. Organisation representative Rafael Hambardzumyan held a press conference to introduce it to the public....

A delegation headed by Victor Kazantsev, the representative of the Russian president in the Southern federal okrug, arrived today in Armenia for three-day visit. As part of his visit, Mr. Kazantsev toured Russian troops deployed in Armenia. The Russian guest said he pleased with order and discipline he found here and called Armenian-Russian relations “warm and cordial”. Kazantsev didn’t fail to notice either the local residents’ or the...

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Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan received a delegation headed by Victor Kazantsev, the representative of the Russian president in the Southern federal okrug. Both sides attached importance to strengthening economic ties between the two countries especially in such areas as agriculture, energy and transport. Development of cooperation in the culture, science, tourism and education spheres...

October 27 terrorist action trial failed to be held this week. Officials say the delay is caused by one of the terrorist group members Vram Galstyan’s heart trouble. The court is likely to resume hearing on the case the next week. It is remarkable that, as a rule, when Galstyan announced he has something to say he is found not fit to stand trial.

Seminar on the first results of the Ethnic Minorities Protection Convention’s monitoring is to be held in Yerevan on June 3, 4 by Armenian Foreign Ministry and Ethnic Minorities Protection Convention. Representatives of Asyrian, Russian, Curd, Georgian, Yezid, Greek, Jewish, Polish, German and Ukrainian communities are to attend the event.

“Voting on May 25 can’t be evaluated totally free, fair and transparent” , ARF Supreme Body has today appeared with such a statement. Dashnaktsutyun is sure that “mass and obvious election bribes by the political powers and candidates turned to be an influential factor on the electoral process. Vote “trade” caused the immoral political atmosphere in the country”. Supreme Body knows who the “author” of it is “The...

Today at 19:00 local time Central Election Commission announced final results of the parliamentary elections held last Sunday. Republican Party took 23 national Assembly’s seats, “Justice” union 14, Orinats Erkir 12, Dashnaktsutyun 11, National Unity 9, United Labour Party 6. CEC Deputy Chair said, so far, the commission has received 59 formal complaints, 15 of which concern the election irregularities related races through party lists, 36...

“Republic” party leader Albert Bazeyan, who has taken a seat in the National Assembly through “Justice” bloc list rejected his MP mandate today in favour of the bloc’s another candidate Emma Khudabashyan placed the second in the list after Bazeyan. His decision is motivated by great reluctance to sit at parliamentary sessions along with such a sort of newly elected fellow MPs as notorious figures whose aliases are...

Political analyst Agasi Yenokyan answered questions put to him Friday in an interview with our correspondent. - What do you think about parliamentary election results? - I think a coup was staged on May 25. Serge Sargssyan and Robert Kocharyan seized all power levers. That was not only Republicans’ victory but also triumph of all Sargssyan-controlled parties’ such as Orinats Erkir,...

Artsvi Minasyan, former candidate in N 30 election district nominated by ARF, at May 30 conference introduced the irregularities and falsifications at the election district, saying he doesn’t recognise the election results . He said law breaches were committed even at setting up the committees. Minasyan cited concrete cases. E.g, observers and proxies were beaten and sent out in Lenughi, the...

“Mandate has become an auction subject. Even a dirtier one than an auction is as force, all kinds of violence were used, and everything was accompanied by election bribe. There is no impression that elections took place. I am sure that the new Parliament won’t function for 4 years. It will dissolve before the appointed time. Either the incumbent or the next one will dissolve it”, Communist Frunze Kharatyan told at the press conference. The...

Khosrov Harutyunyan is sure the real number of the like-minded persons for Christian and Democratic Party of Armenia makes 40.000. His party gained about 8.000 votes at the elections, which don’t show the real state of affairs, Harutyunyan says. He begs pardon of his electorate for “not being able to master his votes”. By the way, even if winning 45.000 votes CDPA couldn’t become a parliamentary party. Turning 40.000...