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Armenia'S President Reelected In Controversial Election

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  • Armenia'S President Reelected In Controversial Election

    ARMENIA'S PRESIDENT REELECTED IN CONTROVERSIAL ELECTION

    Vatican Radio
    Feb 19 2013

    (Vatican Radio)Initial results show Armenia's President Serzh Sarksyan
    has won a second five-year term with about 58 per cent of votes cast
    in a controversial election.

    Monday's ballot was overshadowed by European Union concerns about
    the status of democracy in the country.

    The incumbent's main rival Raffi Hovannisian received about 32 per
    cent, but the lack of serious competition has led observers to question
    the democratic credentials of the poll.

    Observers recalled that the last presidential election, in 2008, was
    marred by clashes in which 10 people were killed, though the were no
    immediate reports of violence this time.

    INTERNATIONAL APPROVAL?

    Sarksyan has made clear he hopes the election secures the approval
    of international observers and ensure some stability after years of
    war and upheaval.

    However questions remain how the head-of-state will tackle tensions
    with Azerbaijan about the enclave Nagorno-Karabakh, following a war
    between the two neighbours over the ethnic Armenian-majority territory.

    At least 30,000 people were killed and over 1 million people were
    displaced in the fighting. The president has said he prefers peace
    talks but is ready to fight over the enclave again, "if necessary."

    Sarksyan says he prefers peace talks but is ready to fight over the
    enclave again, "if necessary."

    CALM URGED

    However the president of the European Parliament, Martin Schultz, has
    appealed for calm. "The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is unsustainable,
    it's quite clear," he said.

    "Both sides should do efforts towards a solution. Both sides are
    invited by the European Parliament to avoid any statement which could
    lead to more tensions and more conflicts, Schultz added.

    Besides tensions over the enclave president Sarksyan also faces
    economic troubles with nearly a third of the population living in
    below the poverty line.

    He seeks a comprehensive free trade agreement with the EU, but Brussels
    has warned that requires an improvement of democratic standards in
    the former Soviet republic.

    http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/02/19/armenia's_president_reelected_in_controversial_ele ction/en1-666273

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