US says Armenia election rigged
The United States has labeled mayoral elections held
in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, as rigged.
US OSCE envoy Kyle Scott has concluded in a report that the May 31 poll was marred by major violations. According to the US embassy in Armenia, the report reflects Washington`s stance on the elections.
"Based on the findings of US embassy observers as well as local and foreign monitors, we can note that voting on election day was marred by widespread irregularities," the report says. "We encountered ballot stuffing, multiple voting, irregularities in the vote count, and instances of intimidation of observers."
The mission indicated that the violations, revealed during the previous elections as well, show a troubling pattern. "We call on the Armenian authorities to comply with the recommendations made by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights in its previous reports."
We recall that the 2008 presidential election in Armenia was followed by violent clashes between riot police and opposition activists in which many people were killed.
Armenia`s ruling Republican Party won the municipal polls in the capital, gaining nearly half of the votes. The win enabled the party`s incumbent, Gagik Beglarian, to retain his post as mayor of Yerevan, and dashed the opponents` hopes to win enough of the 65 seats in the city council for ex-president Levon Ter-Petrosian, who heads the opposition Armenian National Congress, to be elected. The Congress labeled the election as fraudulent and turned down the mandates it had gained in protest.
US OSCE envoy Kyle Scott has concluded in a report that the May 31 poll was marred by major violations. According to the US embassy in Armenia, the report reflects Washington`s stance on the elections.
"Based on the findings of US embassy observers as well as local and foreign monitors, we can note that voting on election day was marred by widespread irregularities," the report says. "We encountered ballot stuffing, multiple voting, irregularities in the vote count, and instances of intimidation of observers."
The mission indicated that the violations, revealed during the previous elections as well, show a troubling pattern. "We call on the Armenian authorities to comply with the recommendations made by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights in its previous reports."
We recall that the 2008 presidential election in Armenia was followed by violent clashes between riot police and opposition activists in which many people were killed.
Armenia`s ruling Republican Party won the municipal polls in the capital, gaining nearly half of the votes. The win enabled the party`s incumbent, Gagik Beglarian, to retain his post as mayor of Yerevan, and dashed the opponents` hopes to win enough of the 65 seats in the city council for ex-president Levon Ter-Petrosian, who heads the opposition Armenian National Congress, to be elected. The Congress labeled the election as fraudulent and turned down the mandates it had gained in protest.
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