“Aravot” editorializes that money was key to the electoral success of the Republican Party of Armenia (HHK). “There seem to have been no serious incidents in polling stations during both voting and counting of ballots, which no doubt is a positive phenomenon,” editorializes the paper. “But even to say that the elections moved a little closer to European standards would be a mockery of those standards. For elections is not just voting. Elections are a free expression of citizens’ will, and it doesn’t really matter whether that will was strangled by ballot stuffing, violence or money.”
“Aravot” also says the Armenian opposition deserved to have been defeated. “Both the radical and non-radical opposition forces have done everything to achieve the results announced today,” concludes the paper.
“Hayk” claims that the number of ballots cast for Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) is grossly inflated by the Central Election Commission. “Whereas after vote counts in precincts BHK representatives looked quite upset and the Republicans were admitting that opposition forces have achieved serious success, statements subsequently made by the CEC amazed and cheered up Republicans and BHK members who were on the verge of desperation,” writes the paper.
Writing from his prison cell, the editor of “Zhamanak Yerevan,” Arman Babajanian, says multiple voting was widespread on Saturday. “The mechanism is quite clear,” he says. “A citizen eligible to vote enters a polling station, presents a passport, but signs for somebody else, presumably a person who will not go to the polls because of being absent from Armenia or dead. Then the same voter again comes to the polling station a couple of hours later, again presents his passport, and then votes in place of another absent voter.”
“Gunshots do not seem to have been fired [on Saturday,]” writes “Pakagits.” “They occurred days before the elections. But that does not seem to have changed the quality of the elections because the real quality lies is the expression of popular will. And when that will is stifled it doesn’t matter how you do that, visibly or invisibly, violently or friendly. The consequence is the same as the one we have been witnessing for 15 years.”
“If some politicians try to artificially destabilize the political situation, I’m sure they will not achieve anything,” HHK spokesman Eduard Sharmazanov tells “Hayots Ashkhar.” “The people are simply indifferent to them. And nothing is worse than indifference.”
(Atom Markarian)
“Aravot” also says the Armenian opposition deserved to have been defeated. “Both the radical and non-radical opposition forces have done everything to achieve the results announced today,” concludes the paper.
“Hayk” claims that the number of ballots cast for Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) is grossly inflated by the Central Election Commission. “Whereas after vote counts in precincts BHK representatives looked quite upset and the Republicans were admitting that opposition forces have achieved serious success, statements subsequently made by the CEC amazed and cheered up Republicans and BHK members who were on the verge of desperation,” writes the paper.
Writing from his prison cell, the editor of “Zhamanak Yerevan,” Arman Babajanian, says multiple voting was widespread on Saturday. “The mechanism is quite clear,” he says. “A citizen eligible to vote enters a polling station, presents a passport, but signs for somebody else, presumably a person who will not go to the polls because of being absent from Armenia or dead. Then the same voter again comes to the polling station a couple of hours later, again presents his passport, and then votes in place of another absent voter.”
“Gunshots do not seem to have been fired [on Saturday,]” writes “Pakagits.” “They occurred days before the elections. But that does not seem to have changed the quality of the elections because the real quality lies is the expression of popular will. And when that will is stifled it doesn’t matter how you do that, visibly or invisibly, violently or friendly. The consequence is the same as the one we have been witnessing for 15 years.”
“If some politicians try to artificially destabilize the political situation, I’m sure they will not achieve anything,” HHK spokesman Eduard Sharmazanov tells “Hayots Ashkhar.” “The people are simply indifferent to them. And nothing is worse than indifference.”
(Atom Markarian)