Parliamentary elections preliminary data ensued scandal in Armenia’s election board
Central election board of Armenia pronounced late night 1234546, that is 53.25% of all eligible voters took part in May 25 parliamentary elections in Armenia and only six parties managed to win seats in National assembly.
The Republican party’s candidates received 22,51 % of voices, ‘Equity’ united opposition alliance, 13,02 %, a turned out opposition ‘Orinats yerkir’ party, 11,83 %, ‘Dashnaktsutsune’, a pro-president party but criticizing government, 10,94 %, ‘National unity’ opposition party, 8,42% respectively.
A brand new party of Gurgen Arseniyan, a businessman, which emerged recently, surprisingly overcame a critical five percent barrier receiving 5,5% of votes to obtain seats in Armenian parliament.
However, not all employees of Central Election Board agreed with such results.
Hamlet Abramiyan, the deputy chairman of Central election board, a ‘Dashnaktsutsune’ supporter himself, refused to sign the protocol. He claimed extra 73.000 voices to be falsified. Though the elections term was not prolonged and number of polls was the same, three hours after the elections were over, he said, Central election board officials pronounced 1.161.000 of votes cast. At 5 p.m. the next day corrected figures appeared to be 1.194.000 and eventually 1.234.000 votes.
Paul Yedigariyan, another employee of the CEB and a National democratic movement member, is expected to call off his signature as his party recommended.
Artashes Avoyan, as well a member of CEB as ‘Orinats yerkir’ political party signed the election board protocol, nevertheless expressed his personal opinion.
Moreover, leaders of ‘Equity’, the opposition alliance, said in their Monday statement they would not recognize results of the elections.
Another concerned party, ‘Dashnaktsutsun’, which also expressed its disagreement with the results, announced press-conference to talk to journalists on the issue, but concealed it afterwards.
