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Haykakan Zhamanak, Armenia
Jan 17 2008
The Central Electoral Commission promotes illegality
The organization called the United Liberal National Party [ULNP] has
been campaigning for Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan in
Yerevan's streets for more than 10 days now.
On 9 November 2007 the Central Electoral Commission [CEC] drew up the
schedule of the 19 February presidential election according to which
the election campaign of the presidential candidates is to start on
21 January. Anyone who can read and understand Armenian knows that
campaigning for a presidential candidate before the official start of
the campaign is a violation of the Election Code of the Republic of
Armenia. Moreover, even the Armenian Prosecutor-General's Office said
back in 2007 that carrying out propaganda before the start of the
campaign is a grave violation of the Armenian Election Code.
However, the Central Electoral Commission of the Republic of Armenia
does not react to the illegal activities of the young members of the
ULNP. CEC secretary Abram Bakhchagulyan, who represents [the ruling]
Republican Party of Armenia in the commission, told us yesterday [16
January] in an interview that they [CEC members] had no powers to ban
propaganda activities before the start of the election campaign.
According to Article 41 of the Election Code of the Republic of
Armenia, the CEC is the body which organizes elections and ensures
their legality. Bakhchaulyan said the Election Code does not specify
what is meant by propaganda.
"The CEC is responsible for ensuring the legality of election
campaigns," the secretary of this commission says. Provision 5 of
Article 18 of the Election Code says that an election campaign starts
a day after the period of registration of candidates ends. It
finishes a day before the election day. What to do if a candidate
carries out propaganda before the start of the election campaign? The
Election Code has no answer to this specific question.
[Passage omitted: The Election Code does not specify which state
agency should deal with the implementation of this provision]
PS. Yesterday the National Press Club and the US National Democratic
Institute organized a meeting to discuss the issue "The CEC and
ensuring the legality and transparency of elections". Representatives
of various parties took part in the discussion, and their speeches
were upsetting. The thing is that neither the CEC members attending
the discussion nor the party figures were well aware the CEC role in
elections. Moreover, Abram Bakhchagulyan made shameless statements
that had no bearing on the truth. However, the participants did not
try to respond to his allegations. The CEC secretary, for example,
dismissed as groundless the statements that non-existing people have
been included on voter lists. He said that such facts have never been
presented [to the CEC]. He added that no extra ballots are printed
during Armenian elections, and so far there has been no need for
printing ballots abroad.
During the discussion the only well-aimed remark came from the
secretary of the People's Party of Armenia, Grigor Harutyunyan,
according to whom the CEC has been formed by the illegitimate
authorities. He said it was meaningless to speak about the CEC
ensuring the legality of elections as long as the current bandit
authorities are in power.
Jan 17 2008
The Central Electoral Commission promotes illegality
The organization called the United Liberal National Party [ULNP] has
been campaigning for Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan in
Yerevan's streets for more than 10 days now.
On 9 November 2007 the Central Electoral Commission [CEC] drew up the
schedule of the 19 February presidential election according to which
the election campaign of the presidential candidates is to start on
21 January. Anyone who can read and understand Armenian knows that
campaigning for a presidential candidate before the official start of
the campaign is a violation of the Election Code of the Republic of
Armenia. Moreover, even the Armenian Prosecutor-General's Office said
back in 2007 that carrying out propaganda before the start of the
campaign is a grave violation of the Armenian Election Code.
However, the Central Electoral Commission of the Republic of Armenia
does not react to the illegal activities of the young members of the
ULNP. CEC secretary Abram Bakhchagulyan, who represents [the ruling]
Republican Party of Armenia in the commission, told us yesterday [16
January] in an interview that they [CEC members] had no powers to ban
propaganda activities before the start of the election campaign.
According to Article 41 of the Election Code of the Republic of
Armenia, the CEC is the body which organizes elections and ensures
their legality. Bakhchaulyan said the Election Code does not specify
what is meant by propaganda.
"The CEC is responsible for ensuring the legality of election
campaigns," the secretary of this commission says. Provision 5 of
Article 18 of the Election Code says that an election campaign starts
a day after the period of registration of candidates ends. It
finishes a day before the election day. What to do if a candidate
carries out propaganda before the start of the election campaign? The
Election Code has no answer to this specific question.
[Passage omitted: The Election Code does not specify which state
agency should deal with the implementation of this provision]
PS. Yesterday the National Press Club and the US National Democratic
Institute organized a meeting to discuss the issue "The CEC and
ensuring the legality and transparency of elections". Representatives
of various parties took part in the discussion, and their speeches
were upsetting. The thing is that neither the CEC members attending
the discussion nor the party figures were well aware the CEC role in
elections. Moreover, Abram Bakhchagulyan made shameless statements
that had no bearing on the truth. However, the participants did not
try to respond to his allegations. The CEC secretary, for example,
dismissed as groundless the statements that non-existing people have
been included on voter lists. He said that such facts have never been
presented [to the CEC]. He added that no extra ballots are printed
during Armenian elections, and so far there has been no need for
printing ballots abroad.
During the discussion the only well-aimed remark came from the
secretary of the People's Party of Armenia, Grigor Harutyunyan,
according to whom the CEC has been formed by the illegitimate
authorities. He said it was meaningless to speak about the CEC
ensuring the legality of elections as long as the current bandit
authorities are in power.