Azernews.Az

By Sabina Idayatova

A protest rally against the outcome of the presidential election in Armenia was held in Los Angeles in front of the Armenian Consulate building on February 21, Armenia Today news agency reported.

The sixth presidential elections in Armenia were held on February 18 with the participation of seven candidates. According to the preliminary data of the Central Election Commission (CEC), incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan was re-elected as the country's president, gaining 58.64 percent of the votes, while former Foreign Minister Raffi Hovannisyan came second with 36.75 percent, and former Prime Minister Hrant Bagratyan ranked third with 2.15 percent. Final results of the elections will be summed up on February 25.

'While the effects of fraud during the elections are not yet eliminated and the official figures released by the CEC don't engender confidence, considering Sargsyan as re-elected president is unacceptable. Through the protest rally we demand punishment of the fraudsters and call on all organizations and institutions in Diaspora to refrain from offering premature congratulations to Sargsyan on his victory," a statement released by the rally organizers said.

Meanwhile, Yerevan mayor's office has rejected a request submitted by an authorized representative of the presidential candidate and leader of the Heritage Party Raffi Hovannisyan on holding rallies, the press service of mayor's office told News Armenia.

On February 20, Armen Martirosyan submitted a notification to the administration of the mayor's office on holding rallies at Freedom Square from 15:00 to 19:00 on Feb. 23, 24 and 25.

The mayor's office rejected the request, saying the notification was to be submitted no later than seven days before and no earlier than 30 days before the date of the rally.

Furthermore, a confrontation occurred on February 22 between police and participants of a rally currently taking place outside the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) observation mission in one of the central streets of Yerevan, News Armenia reported.

The rally is a protest against the estimates of the OSCE/ODIHR observation mission stating that presidential election was held in line with international standards and that the registered violations could not affect their outcome.

According to one of the activists, they are demanding the observers immediately leave Armenia and never come back, as "their presence in the country contributes to falsification in the elections". The protesters are going to send a letter to the observers with their demands and disagreement with their estimations over the elections.

Representatives of the observer mission mediated by the police officers invited two protesters into the building, but were turned down as the activists demanded the OSCE ODIHR observers come out of the building themselves.

It is noteworthy that the organizers of this campaign are the same people who interrupted the presentation of the preliminary statement on the presidential elections in Armenia by an international observation mission, including representatives of the OSCE ODIHR, PACE and the European Parliament in the Armenia-Marriott hotel on February 19.

A group of young people who introduced themselves as social activists broke into the hall of the hotel where the press conference of the European observers was being held and demanded they do not recognize the election results which were regarded as fraudulent.

Discouraged by the unexpected turn of events the observers interrupted the press conference, resuming it in half an hour. Noting that they respect freedom of speech, the European observers asked the protest organizers to present their demands in English.