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Raffi Hovannisian campaign headquarters sounds alarm on vanishing ink,
widespread fraud, and systematic corruption plaguing the ongoing
presidential election (February 18, 2013 - 6:30pm)
http://www.nt.am/en/news/177184/
18-02-2013 19:23:41 | Armenia | Politics
At campaign headquarters the phones have not stopped ringing since
polling stations opened this morning, and Raffi Hovannisian's Facebook
page is overflowing with reports of violations presently occurring
across all categories and all regions of the Republic of Armenia. By
6pm we have hundreds of reports of major material violations of the
election code, including incidents of actual ballot-stuffing,
intimidation, and rampant vote-buying - which had begun three days
earlier in Gyumri, but has spread since then to Vanadzor, Yerevan, and
everywhere in between and beyond.
At least one polling station was shut down for more than fifteen
minutes, during which all campaign representatives were removed from
the premises. In another case an electoral commission president took
possession of the official vote log and, against the protests of
Hovannisian's election monitors, accompanied two unknown outsiders
into a closed room. The doors remained locked for more than ten
minutes. People have been caught voting with fake passports and with
passports belonging to others.
In major cities votes continue to be bought, while in villages mayors
are pressuring voters to vote for the incumbent president as gangs of
young henchmen oversee precincts. Meanwhile caravans of taxis and
buses are being employed in the service of a systematic operation to
transport voters hundreds of kilometers away from home, to precincts
where they have been registered in `supplemental lists.' In general
voting precincts are besieged by buses, which are often full of
elderly people. There is video evidence of the elderly being guided to
vote for the Republican Party candidate by election officials inside
the voting precinct.
Within the culture of multiple voting, furthermore, the discovery of
vanishing ink is highly alarming. At the moment citizens who have
already cast ballots can apply a wet napkin on the last page of their
passports, and erase within a few moments all evidence of their
voting. In many cases the ink vanishes on its own.
MEDIA LINKS
Vanishing ink:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkU2NtWXkOI
Elderly man told whom to vote for:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjlP_b2RNJ8&feature=player_embedded
In buses, organizers with lists:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49GQKyBfStQ&feature=player_embedded
Henchmen outside precincts - a common sight:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=51akFjt32-g#!
Man escapes after trying to vote with another's passport:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaBkS6aTloI
- Politics
News from Armenia and Diaspora - Noyan Tapan
From: A. Papazian
widespread fraud, and systematic corruption plaguing the ongoing
presidential election (February 18, 2013 - 6:30pm)
http://www.nt.am/en/news/177184/
18-02-2013 19:23:41 | Armenia | Politics
At campaign headquarters the phones have not stopped ringing since
polling stations opened this morning, and Raffi Hovannisian's Facebook
page is overflowing with reports of violations presently occurring
across all categories and all regions of the Republic of Armenia. By
6pm we have hundreds of reports of major material violations of the
election code, including incidents of actual ballot-stuffing,
intimidation, and rampant vote-buying - which had begun three days
earlier in Gyumri, but has spread since then to Vanadzor, Yerevan, and
everywhere in between and beyond.
At least one polling station was shut down for more than fifteen
minutes, during which all campaign representatives were removed from
the premises. In another case an electoral commission president took
possession of the official vote log and, against the protests of
Hovannisian's election monitors, accompanied two unknown outsiders
into a closed room. The doors remained locked for more than ten
minutes. People have been caught voting with fake passports and with
passports belonging to others.
In major cities votes continue to be bought, while in villages mayors
are pressuring voters to vote for the incumbent president as gangs of
young henchmen oversee precincts. Meanwhile caravans of taxis and
buses are being employed in the service of a systematic operation to
transport voters hundreds of kilometers away from home, to precincts
where they have been registered in `supplemental lists.' In general
voting precincts are besieged by buses, which are often full of
elderly people. There is video evidence of the elderly being guided to
vote for the Republican Party candidate by election officials inside
the voting precinct.
Within the culture of multiple voting, furthermore, the discovery of
vanishing ink is highly alarming. At the moment citizens who have
already cast ballots can apply a wet napkin on the last page of their
passports, and erase within a few moments all evidence of their
voting. In many cases the ink vanishes on its own.
MEDIA LINKS
Vanishing ink:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkU2NtWXkOI
Elderly man told whom to vote for:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjlP_b2RNJ8&feature=player_embedded
In buses, organizers with lists:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49GQKyBfStQ&feature=player_embedded
Henchmen outside precincts - a common sight:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=51akFjt32-g#!
Man escapes after trying to vote with another's passport:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaBkS6aTloI
- Politics
News from Armenia and Diaspora - Noyan Tapan
From: A. Papazian