Armenian Helsinki Committee reveals number of violations in presidential election

As of 15:00 local time, the Helsinki Committee of Armenia identified a number of violations in voting within the presidential elections in the country, chairman of the Helsinki Committee of Armenia Avetik Ishkhanyan said, News-Armenia reported.

Presidential elections took place at 1,988 polling stations in Armenia on Monday.

"Our observers are responsible for monitoring in Yerevan's Ajapnyak district revealed various violations at various polling places," he said.

He said 104 observers of the committee are involved in elections.

Among the identified violations, Ishkhanyan particularly noted attempts to distribute bribes to voters for voting for Serzh Sargsyan, repeated voting, lack of identity cards, in particular, of representatives of Serzh Sargsyan and the temporary absence of heads of electoral commissions from polling stations.

He said the Committee ascertained that there are fewer trustees of candidates in the current presidential election than in the previous presidential election in 2008.

"In the previous election there were at least three or four trustees at polling stations, whereas now their number is much fewer. Basically, these are trustees of Raffi Hovannisian and Grant Bagratyan," he said.

Ishkhanian said the smaller number of trustees is due to a lack of financial and human resources.

He also said that this year, not heads of precinct election commissions, but trustees of the incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan direct the work of polling stations.

Noting that, compared to the last presidential election, these elections are held in relatively calm atmosphere, Ishkhanian stated that this is due to the lack of serious competition.

The sixth Armenian presidential election is being held today, Feb 18, from 08:00 to 20:00 local time. The head of state is elected for five years.

Those running for the presidency are the incumbent president and ruling Republican Party leader Serzh Sargsyan, former Prime Minister Grant Bagratyan, chairman of the Heritage Party Raffi Hovhannisyan, Paruyr Hayrikyan, Arman Melikyan, Andrias Ghukasyan and Vardan Setrakyan.