Armenian opposition slams Western election observers
Armenian ex-president, opposition leader Levon
Ter-Petrosian has directed pounding criticism at the international
observers who have positively assessed Sunday`s municipal polls
held in the capital, Yerevan.
"Council of Europe observers who say the election complied with European standards are ridiculing either themselves or the Armenian people," Ter-Petrosian argued.
With nearly all votes counted, the Central Election Commission announced that Armenia`s ruling Republican Party has won, gaining 46% of the vote, while Ter-Petrosian, who heads the opposition Armenian National Congress, came third, winning only 17%. This enables the Republican Party`s incumbent to retain his post as mayor of Yerevan, dashing the opposition`s hopes to win enough seats for Ter-Petrosian to be elected.
Ter-Petrosian claimed the fact that Western countries had delegated only 15 observers clearly shows that they did not take the elections seriously.
"If bribes, beatings and kidnappings of local observers, bringing masses of people from the regions to vote in lieu of Yerevan residents and rigging the election outcomes are European standards, then we don`t need them," the opposition leader said ironically. "Let them apply those standards in their own countries."
The opposition is riled the most by the feedback from the CE Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, which was the only international group that observed the poll. The 12-people-strong mission that monitored the polling in about 200 ballot stations in Yerevan, told a news conference following the election that it was a commendable step forward in comparison with the 2008 presidential election in Armenia. They pointed to some violations, but said they were not serious enough to influence the overall outcome of the elections.
We recall that violence escalated in the South Caucasus republic following the February 2008 poll. The opposition refused to recognize the outcome of the presidential election won by former Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian, taking to the streets. Scores of people were killed, injured and arrested during the putdown of the mass protests on March 1-2.
Journalists labeled the mayoral election as one "in which media representatives were subjected to pressure the most." Commenting on the statement, the head of the Congress observation delegation to Yerevan, Nigel Mermagen, said the allegations would be taken into account in its final assessment to be announced during the Congress` fall session in mid-October.
The election was the first local poll for Yerevan`s mayor`s office in the South Caucasus republic`s history. Mayors had previously been appointed by the president.
The final election outcomes will be announced in a week.
"Council of Europe observers who say the election complied with European standards are ridiculing either themselves or the Armenian people," Ter-Petrosian argued.
With nearly all votes counted, the Central Election Commission announced that Armenia`s ruling Republican Party has won, gaining 46% of the vote, while Ter-Petrosian, who heads the opposition Armenian National Congress, came third, winning only 17%. This enables the Republican Party`s incumbent to retain his post as mayor of Yerevan, dashing the opposition`s hopes to win enough seats for Ter-Petrosian to be elected.
Ter-Petrosian claimed the fact that Western countries had delegated only 15 observers clearly shows that they did not take the elections seriously.
"If bribes, beatings and kidnappings of local observers, bringing masses of people from the regions to vote in lieu of Yerevan residents and rigging the election outcomes are European standards, then we don`t need them," the opposition leader said ironically. "Let them apply those standards in their own countries."
The opposition is riled the most by the feedback from the CE Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, which was the only international group that observed the poll. The 12-people-strong mission that monitored the polling in about 200 ballot stations in Yerevan, told a news conference following the election that it was a commendable step forward in comparison with the 2008 presidential election in Armenia. They pointed to some violations, but said they were not serious enough to influence the overall outcome of the elections.
We recall that violence escalated in the South Caucasus republic following the February 2008 poll. The opposition refused to recognize the outcome of the presidential election won by former Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian, taking to the streets. Scores of people were killed, injured and arrested during the putdown of the mass protests on March 1-2.
Journalists labeled the mayoral election as one "in which media representatives were subjected to pressure the most." Commenting on the statement, the head of the Congress observation delegation to Yerevan, Nigel Mermagen, said the allegations would be taken into account in its final assessment to be announced during the Congress` fall session in mid-October.
The election was the first local poll for Yerevan`s mayor`s office in the South Caucasus republic`s history. Mayors had previously been appointed by the president.
The final election outcomes will be announced in a week.
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