PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN ARMENIA
Parliamentary elections are being held today in Armenia. The head of the Armenian Central Election Commission Garegin Azarian said today that from 08:00 a.m. the polling stations across the country have been opened and all the eligible voters, whose number amounts to 2 million 285,830, will be able to vote until 09:00 p.m.
According to RA Electoral Code, on the voting day the Central Election Commission starting from 12:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. every three hours will be informing about the number of citizens who participated in the elections as well as about complaints.
Twenty-two parties and one alliance are fighting for 90 seats in the National Assembly, contested under the proportional election system and 119 individual candidates will be contesting for 41 seats under the majoritarian system in single-mandate constituencies.
About 700 observers from 6 international organizations and 52 local organizations with about 13,000 observers are following the course of the parliamentary elections.
The Central Election Commission will sum up the results of the elections on May 13.
"I have voted today for the future of Armenia, for continuity of the economic and social reforms,' president Robert Kocharian told reporters after casting his ballot at a polling station in the center of Yerevan.
"I think the voting process will proceed normally," he added, but refused to say which party he voted for, when asked whether it was difficult to him to make the choice.
Kocharian also avoided to say which of tens of opposition political parties he would like to see in the next National Assembly in order 'not to give rise to speculations.'
"I want our parliament to have Armenian opposition political parties, but not representations of foreign organizations in the form of parliament factions," Kocharian said.
He said he did not want to make forecasts, especially that the voting will end in several hours. "What is important is to go quickly back to normal working track after the elections so that everyone goes back to his usual duties, so that to have a new government formed for the country to be back on its normal track,' he said.
Kocharian also said the party that wins plurality of votes would have better chances to contest next year's presidential election.
"But I do not think that the returns of today ballot predetermine the outcome of presidential elections. We have to make our assessments from the perspective of constitutional reforms. A president enjoying the support of the parliament, will be the real head of the state," he said. Tigran Torosian Believes Current Elections Are Test of Dignity and Democracy
"I have come to cast my ballot with very good mood. I think that until now everything has been calm and smooth. These elections are not only a test of democracy but also a test of dignity for all of us," Speaker of Armenian National Assembly Tigran Torosian said today after casting his ballot at a polling station placed at a Yerevan school.
Torosian said that Armenia is a 16-year old state and it is time to prove that it does not yield to any of the Council of Europe member countries. Armenian people do not deserve to hear negative assessments.
As to the statements of opposition forces about post-electoral processes, the NA speaker said that it is possible to speak of the quality of elections only after the election process is finished. RA Foreign Minister Hopes Elections Will Pass Normally
"I hope the elections will pass normally and will reflect the political balance in the country but the determining force will be the wish of the people," RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian said today after casting his ballot.
According to him, the preparation round of the elections as compared with the previous elections was good and the interim reports of the international observers witness about it. The minister said that if the voting coincides with the general tendencies registered during the past month the country will receive positive assessment.
Oskanian said that the expectations of the international community are big, the attention of all is fixed on the elections in Armenia and everybody is waiting that they will pass without violations. Artashes Geghamian Hopes elections Will Pass Without Violations
Artashes Geghamian, Chairman of the National Unity party, sounded optimistic today morning after casting his ballot in parliamentary elections, saying to journalists his expectations from the polls were quite high.
"We hope that there will be no vote rigging and the country will not be smeared again,' he said.
Geghamian was the 92nd who had voted by then. Stepan Demirchian Votes for Dignified and Democratic Armenia
I have voted for dignified and democratic Armenia," opposition People's Party of Armenia Stepan Demirtchian, head of People's Party of Armenia, said today after casting his ballot at a polling station at a school in the center of Yerevan.
The leader of the party avoided making any forecasts about possible percentage of votes his party will get, nevertheless he said he is expecting good results.
Stepan Demirtchian also noted that they have not received any calls about breaches yet.
"We will follow the election process and will give our assessments later," he said. Raffi Hovhanesian Proud of Being Armenian
Armenia's first post-Soviet foreign minister Raffi Hovhanesian said the citizens of Armenia have today their first chance in the last 16 years to hold free and clean national vote and register their victory.
After voting at a polling stations in Yerevan Hovhanesian, who is head of an opposition Zharangutyun (Heritage) party, said, "We believe in our country, our laws and rights.'
He said his wish is that in the wake of the polls all political parties direct their efforts to fomation of a new parliament and a coalition government.
Hovhanesian, who was born in the U.S., said he takes pride in being a citizen of Armenia and participating in the election with his party.
"We shall celebrate our people's election victory, we must take part in the polls for the future of our generations, for building a democratic country,' he said.
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