Tensions Mount As Vote Nears in Armenia

Tension continues to mount in Armenia in the run up to parliamentary elections next weekend. Armenia’s past elections have been marred by charges of corruption and intimidation by authorities. The government’s opposition seems determined to raise the stakes in the wake of an election result that is not free or fair.

AP has more on Sunday’s opposition rally. . . .

Some 6,000 people turned out Sunday for a rally organized by an opposition party that hopes to improve its foothold in parliamentary elections in the former Soviet republic of Armenia next weekend.

Leaders of the party Orinats Yerkir, whose name means Country Ruled by Law, accused President Robert Kocharian’s government of corruption and cronyism in speeches to the crowd in central Yerevan.

Party leader Artur Bagdasarian vowed to protest vigorously if the party suspects fraud in Saturday’s vote. Opposition parties said 2003 parliamentary and presidential elections were marred by fraud and intimidation, and international observers also said he votes failed to meet standards for democracy.
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Oneworld has some more great photos of Sunday’s rally here.

Government opposition campaigning in “an atmosphere of fear”?

With Armenia’s parliamentary vote just over a week away, opposition parties are complaining that pro-government parties and local government officials have created “an atmosphere of fear.” The governing Republican Party of Armenia is dismissive of the opposition allegation, while the Central Election Commission states that it is doing its best to address complaint.

Problems cited by opposition activists range from voter intimidation and vandalism of campaign posters to difficulties in finding space to hold meetings with supporters. “Prior to our meetings, people are ‘warned’ by the police and national security service agents not to attend,” claimed Artak Zeynalian, a member of the political council of the hardcore opposition Hanrapetutiun (Republic) Party. “People are intimidated and warned that the meetings will be recorded on video, and there will be retribution for attending them.”

A resident of Kapan, a town in Armenia’s mountainous southeastern Syunik Region, echoed that statement. “I want to participate in meetings very much to see what the opposition representatives say, but I can’t,” said the resident, speaking on condition of anonymity. “Our boss has told us all that if he learned that any of us participated in such meetings, we would not have our jobs.”

There have been numerous reports of alleged irregularities in the Syunik region and elsewhere. Outspoken opposition leader Manuk Gasparian, head of the Democratic Way Party, charges that the heavy-handed tactics have turned region residents, whom he termed “the eagles of Syunik,” into “[scared] birds.”

“There were many cases when people in rural areas secretly took our booklets, expressed their support, but said they wouldn’t turn up for a meeting because they were afraid,” Gasparian said. “In other cases, we would go to a meeting, and by law the village head must inform the constituency about the planned meeting, but he had told people that no meeting would be held.”
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Yerevan authorities search homes of opposition members

Meanwhile, ITAR-TASS is reporting that two co-founders of the Civic Disobedience movement who are boycotting the May 12 elections had their homes searched by authorities in Yerevan.

Armenia’s National Security Service has held many-hours-long searches in the offices and apartments of two major oppositionists – former deputy prime minister Vagan Shirkhanian and former foreign minister Alexander Arzumanian.

Both men are cofounders of the Civic Disobedience movement and they abstain from the parliamentary election scheduled for May 12.

Armenia’s law enforcement agencies did not make any comments on the situation by the time of reporting.
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OSCE ambassadors see May 12 elections as crucial

As the opposition mounts its campaign, OSCE officials have met with President Kocharian in Yerevan over the May 12 parliamentary ballot. Many view these elections as a telling sign of Armenia’s democratic development.

Armenia’s President Robert Kocharyan discussed the election process in the country and the parliamentary elections planned for May 12 with heads of diplomatic missions of OSCE member-countries accredited in Armenia.

As REGNUM was told at the presidential press office, during the meeting the president pointed out that a very important period started in Armenia’s life as the election process switched into its final stage. At the same time, Robert Kocharyan stressed that the government was resolute to conduct the elections under international standards. In this connection, he noted that the election process was taking place in quite a calm and civilized way and called important the government and leading political parties’ role in it.

In their turn, the diplomats called the elections the decisive step on the way of Armenia’s democratic development and said that Armenia has already registered significant progress in the direction of holding free and fair elections, which is mentioned in reports of observer missions. The diplomats also said that wide opportunities were established for all participants in having meetings with the electorate, sustaining visibility of their programs and opinions and assess to television.
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Early poll suggests favorable vote for Republican and Prosperous Armenia parties

Aharon Adibekian, head of Sociometer pollster center, unveiled today the findings of his latest public opinion survey, conducted to learn voting intentions of Armenians ahead of the May 12 parliamentary elections, saying none of the parties running the parliament is set to win the absolute majority. According to these findings, two third of all votes will be distributed to the Republican and Prosperous Armenia parties.

Adibekian said 15 percent of 1,650 respondents polled in 10 regions of Armenia refused to disclose who they will cast their ballots for and this may account for a broader error margins after the elections. Adibekian argued these 15 percent are those who are waiting for parties or individual candidates to offer bribes in return for their support.

. . . According to him, the Republican party and the Prosperous Armenia will make the backbone of the future coalition government. . . . According to the survey, the Republican party may win 55-60 seats, the Prosperous Armenia – 35-40 seats, the Orinats Yerkir and the ARF – 8-12 seats each, the Heritage, the National Unity, the Peoples Party, the United Labor Party and the Dashink party – 3-6 mandates each.
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