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Heritage opposition party statement on Feb 19 presidential election

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  • Heritage opposition party statement on Feb 19 presidential election

    Heritage opposition party statement on Feb 19 presidential election in
    Armenia

    2008-03-01 10:02:00

    ArmInfo. The Armenian presidential elections, held on February 19,
    2008, became the culmination point for the most severe violations of
    the law that were ever committed throughout the tenure of today's
    authorities and, within the short track record of our independent
    statehood, they turned into a new and a deep sore inside the souls
    of the country's freedom-loving people.

    While carrying out their societal and civic duties and an
    official commitment on the day of the elections, numerous
    Armenian citizens-among them three members of the Heritage Party's
    parliamentary group, many members of election commissions, journalists
    from independent news media, proxies of opposition candidates, and
    ordinary voters-became the targets of countless assaults, and their
    right to make a political choice was violated in a variety ways.

    The incumbent authorities responded to the people's post-election
    resistance-waged against voting fraud and law infringements-by means
    of one-sided and biased propaganda disseminated by the media which are
    under their control and subsequently through the patent politically
    motivated arrests. We confirm, with deep regret, that the number
    of political prisoners in Armenia has grown and reached alarming
    dimensions. Another matter of concern is the fact that on the day
    following the elections, the members of the OSCE/PACE observation
    mission attempted in their turn to legitimize, with a preliminary
    announcement, the results that were made public by the Central Election
    Commission which has silently encouraged the permissiveness carried out
    under the guise of "presidential elections" and which has practically
    coordinated the entire process of voting abuse. With its announcement,
    the aforesaid mission has deepened the Armenian public's distrust not
    solely toward the electoral process, but also toward the international
    community and the progressive international associations, which now
    are gearing double standards for the second year in a row.

    Heritage has exerted great efforts to create, by way of legislative
    improvements, favorable reconditions for conducting free and fair
    elections, to secure political union and national unity in the
    preelection season, to endorse the rule of law at the election
    commissions, and to launch public oversight on the day of the
    elections. Unfortunately, the authorities, which have violated the
    rights and freedoms of Armenian citizens, yet again are attempting
    to crush their own people.

    Heritage hereby demands from the ruling powers to put an end to
    the political pursuits and to refrain from the use of force against
    the peaceful civic gatherings. During this crucial turning point at
    Armenia's history, each and every political force, which senses its
    responsibility for this situation and is capable of proposing avenues
    for resolving it with dignity, must review its course comprehensively
    and commence a public-wide dialogue for the sake of the country's
    future. One such review could be a just verdict handed down by
    the Constitutional Court with respect to the petitions filed by the
    former presidential candidates. Heritage expects the court to examine
    these petitions by acknowledging its accountability before Armenia's
    future and honoring the letter and spirit of the law, and to carry
    out an all-inclusive and a thorough examination of the petitions. The
    quantity and type of the election fraud and numerous other violations
    that occurred in and nearby the voting precincts on the day of the
    elections, as well as the shameful incidents that took place while
    the ballots were being tallied, indubitably bespeak their systemic
    nature, and this reality has caused a broad public distrust toward the
    elections and specifically toward the official voting results. We are
    full of hope that an impartial decision by the Constitutional Court
    would pave for Armenia the way leading to legitimacy, democracy,
    and civil rights.

    Heritage assures that it will always stand alongside the people and
    the truth, and, by defending the fundamental precepts of Armenia's
    statehood, it will never back down from its political position as a
    systemic opposition.

    We therefore call on our members, supporters, and those
    citizens who await our say to not succumb to illegality and
    injustice, to steadfastly go forward and thus to exercise their
    constitutionally-protected rights.
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