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36% of Armenia’s population indifferent to upcoming parliamentary elections – expert

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Thirty-six percent of Armenia’s population are not at all interested in the upcoming parliamentary elections, 43% have decided in favor of a particular political force, 24% have not yet made up their minds sociologist Aharon Adibekyan told reporters on Friday as he summed up preliminary survey results.

Mr Adibekyan plans to report the final results after March 20.

“As a result, the election campaign will be conducted at two levels, with the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) and the Prosperous Armenia party rivaling for a parliamentary majority. The RPA will seek to retain its positions, while the Prosperous Armenia has to persuade the rats that once fled it to come back and bring communities’ votes to it. That is, its goal is 50% of votes plus one vote,” Mr Adibekyan said.

At the second level are the political forces seeking to retain their positions – the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Dashnaktsutyun (ARF-D), Armenian National Congress (ANC) Rule of Law-turned-Armenian Renaissance, as well as other political groups that are just gaining ground.

“The alliance formed by Vartan Oskanian, Raffi Hovannisian and Seyran Ohanyan needs 7%, which is a serious figure. However, Raffi Hovannisian’s rating is 8%.”

OSCE/ODIHR observers to monitor parliamentary election in Armenia

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The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on Monday launched an observation mission in Armenia to monitor the upcoming parliamentary election.
Twenty-eight long-term and 250 short-term observers will join the 14 experts of the group to organize a proper surveillance over the voting processes on April 2, Ambassador Peter Jesen, the head of the mission, told a news conference in Yerevan.
He said they have met with representatives of the Foreign Ministry and the Central Electoral Commission to agree over organizational issues.
Mr Jesen said he is hopeful that their election observation mission (which is the 11th in Armenia) will allow for an effective collaboration with the authorities, political parties and the civil society.
He added that a final report, covering the mission’s key findings, will be published two month after the elections, to propose further measures towards improving electoral processes in Armenia.

 

Armenia vows adequate response to Azerbaijan’s possible provocations

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Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan on Friday, February 17 said that Azerbaijan will receive adequate response in case it makes provocations during the upcoming parliamentary elections, set for April 2.

“Today some in Azerbaijan have the illusion that Armenia is preoccupied with the elections, and will be distracted and vulnerable as a result,” he said.

“Recently, Baku, which adores useless and short-lived PR campaigns and spends big money to carry them out, declared the Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) issue is Azerbaijan’s “internal” affair. Unfortunately, people have short memory. This kind of reasoning, which has neither legal nor moral basis, once resulted in the escalation of the conflict and war, with numerous victims and suffering first of all for the people of Azerbaijan itself.”

“We wish Azerbaijan no suffering, honestly, but won’t allow anybody to even dream about causing suffering to our people,” Sargsyan went on to say.

“The Artsakh issue is the Armenian people’s business, the national cause: the future of Artsakh is in the hands of Artsakh people.

“I see it as my duty to declare that every provocation will receive an adequate response. Politics based on illusions has no future.”

Armenia Election 2017: ARF-D unveils candidates’ list

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The Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaksutyun (ARF-D) on Wednesday announced the names of its candidates running for parliament in April.

Aghvan Vardanyan, the chief of the party’s campaign headquarters, introduced the first 25 nominees on the party’s proportional representation ballot. Armen Roustamyan, the leader of the ARF-D faction in parliament, tops the list.
Vardanyan said they have not included “odious” figures into their ranks.
The list comprises 170 names, including both ARF-D members, and co-thinkers who are not affiliated with the party but share its set of values as representatives of one team.
The ruling Republican Party (with whom the ARF-D signed a coalition deal in 2016) unveiled its proportional list on Tuesday.

Three local NGOs accredited to observe Armenian parliamentary elections

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Three local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have accredited as of February 14 to engage in election monitoring processes during Armenia’s parliamentary elections set on April 2.

As Panorama.am learnt from the Central Electoral Commission of Armenia (CEC), Democracy Law International Center (133 observers), Chamber of United Leaders (137 observers), and Pan-Armenian Youth Association (189 observers) NGOs have been registered thus far to oversight the forthcoming elections.
According to the CEC approved timetable for preparing and conducting parliamentary elections, the application period for registration observer groups or making changes in the submitted lists runs from December 30 through March 18.

Earlier, the Head of the Public Relations Department at the National Assembly of Armenia Arsen Babayan told Panorama.am that invitations to observe the elections had been sent to number of international organizations, such as CoE, PACE, OSCE, and CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly.

To remind, recently published OSCE/ODIHR Needs Assessment Mission Report recommended an election observation mission for the 2 April parliamentary elections, contingent upon the receipt of an official invitation from the Armenian authorities.

In its recommendation the authors of the report had suggested apart from the core team of experts the secondment of 24 long-term observers from OSCE participating states to follow the electoral process countrywide, and 250 short-term observers to follow election day proceedings.

 

Source Panorama.am

Raffi Hovannisian joins former officials to run for Armenia parliament

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YEREVAN. – Former defense minister Seyran Ohanyan, ex-foreign minister Vartan Oskanian and Heritage party leader Raffi Hovannisian will sign a memorandum on Monday to run for the parliament as an alliance of political forces.

The reports were confirmed for Armenian News-NEWS.am by deputy head of Heritage party Armen Martirosyan. The format of the alliance was approved by the party during a meeting on Sunday.

Armenian opposition MPs launch petition to reschedule election date

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Opposition lawmakers from the Armenian National Congress (ANC) have initiated their petition over the demand to have the parliamentary election rescheduled.
They intend to apply to the Constitutional Court to argue the validity of the decision to conduct the voting on April 2.
“We took a printed form from the staff, and the petition is now under way. We do not know what the outcomes will be but are hopeful to attract 27 signatures,” Aram Manukyan, the secretary of the ANC faction in parliament, told reporters on Monday.
He said that the controversies have been thoroughly justified also by lawyers.
“We are going to argue the constitutionality issue at the Constitutional Court; it has been fully supported by our experts’ professional analyses. This is why the process dragged on a little bit longer, but we now have a justified written document which will be submitted to the press today. We are sure the [presidential] decree conflicts with the Constitution.”
Manukyan further cited the moral motives behind their complaint, noting that the date coincides with the anniversary of the April four-day war in Nagorno-Karabakh. But he said their argument is now in the legal domain.
“So, we are applying to the Constitutional Court with legal justifications, not in connection with last year’s events,” he added.
So far, lawmakers of the Consolidation party have joined the petition

Karen Karapetian concedes that he can not be assured of being able to present himself

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Prime Minister Karen Karapetian admitted Friday he may not be eligible to be a candidate for the Republican party in the upcoming parliamentary elections in Armenia.

The Armenian Constitution stipulates that only citizens who have resided permanently in the country for four years may go to the National Assembly. Karapetian worked in Russia from 2011 until President Serge Sarkisian appointed him Prime Minister in September 2016.

Karapetian commented on the issue at a press conference held in his office. “I have been a citizen of the Republic of Armenia for five years and I lived outside Yerevan,” he said. “Does the constitutional restriction take this into account? Can I be on the Republican Party’s list of electors? I do not know the answer to that question yet. “

“If it turns out that the Constitution does not recognize this residence in Armenia, then I will not be on the list of the Republican party,” added Karapetian.

Armen Ashotian, vice-president of the ruling party, also acknowledged on Wednesday that the prime minister can not be legally allowed to attend Parliament. But he said Karapetian will retain his post if the HHK wins the elections scheduled for April 2.

Naira Zohrabian, president of the prosperous Armenian party (BHK), said Friday that Karapetian had already decided not to participate in the elections. She said the HHK was ready to violate the law and register her as a candidate, but the Prime Minister rejected this option.

“It is certainly Karen Karapetian’s personal decision not to allow the Republican Party to commit a new act of fraud,” Zohrabian said.

Speaking to journalists, Karapetian again indicated that he would like to remain Prime Minister after the end of President Sarkisian’s term in April 2018 if his government succeeded in improving the economic situation in Armenia.

“Am I prone to be Prime Minister after April 2018? Yes, if we work productively and if the Republican Party wins the April elections, “he said.

Sarkisian has not yet clarified what he will do after the end of his last presidential term. He refused to rule out the possibility of becoming Prime Minister.

Armenia: Presidential decree the parliamentary elections will take place on 2 April 2017

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President Serge Sarkisian officially foresees that the next parliamentary elections will take place on 2 April 2017 in Armenia.

A presidential decree issued by the Sarkisian press office indicates that the date has been set in accordance with the country’s new electoral code adopted this summer.

The elections will be held one year before the start of the second and last parliamentary term of Sarkisian and the end of Armenia’s transition to a parliamentary system, following a controversial constitutional reform adopted a year ago. They will determine who will govern the country after April 2018.

The National Assembly which will be elected in April will also choose the next president of Armenia, the latter will have an essentially honorary role.

Senior officials of the Armenian-led Republican Party (HHK) led by Sarkisian said the HHK expects to keep control of Parliament. The party capitalized on its levers and government resources to win the last legislative elections tainted by the allegations of the opposition of electoral fraud.

Sarkisian has still not clarified whether he would like to remain in power as Prime Minister after his presidential term. So far, it has only ensured that the Armenian authorities will do their best to ensure that the vote meets democratic standards.

In September, the authorities and three major opposition parties reached an historic agreement to minimize fraud in the upcoming elections. It resulted in major changes to the electoral code.

Both the United States and the European Union welcomed the historic agreement, pledging to provide millions of dollars of funding for its implementation. But echoing the statements of Armenian opposition leaders, they warned that the amendments alone do not guarantee the freedom and fairness of the vote. “This is a matter of political will,” said the US Embassy in Yerevan on 28 November.

Thursday, January 5, 2017,
Claire © armenews.com

Armenian: Ohanian to participate in legislative elections

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Former defense minister Seyran Ohanian will participate in the upcoming parliamentary elections in Armenia in order to obtain a “regime change,” an opposition leader said on Friday.

Victor Dallakian, who was a senior official until recently, insisted that Ohanian and his party called the Third Republic are ready to form an electoral alliance that could also include other opposition groups.

“Our cooperation is not continuing,” Dallakian told reporters. “Our cooperation is increasingly deep and this has to do with the fact that the evaluations of our party and Seyran Ohanian of the current situation of the country and ways to get out are identical.

“We are of the opinion that it is possible to achieve a peaceful change of regime in our country following the parliamentary elections in a unified and consolidated way,” he said.

Ohanian announced his decision to actively participate in the elections of April 2017 on Monday, just over two months after being thanked for his position as defense minister during a government reshuffle initiated by President Serge Sarkissian. He said he will endeavor to bring about political and economic changes in the country, but has not named political allies.

Ohanian was appointed Minister of Defense shortly after Sarkisian became president in 2008. He was the chief general of the Armenian Army until then.

“Seyran Ohanian is not responsible for this situation in Armenia,” Dallakian said after chairing a pre-election conference of his party. “Only one person is responsible for this situation in Armenia and this person is President Serge Sarkisian.”

Dallakian launched stern attacks against Sarkissian immediately after resigning in early October as vice president of the presidential staff responsible for relations with the Armenian Parliament. He has held this position since 2012.

Dallakian, who was an opposition MP in the early and mid-2000s, downplayed the importance of this work, noting that he only performed “symbolic functions” in the Sarkisian staff.

In a speech at the party congress, Dallakian criticized the president hard and said that opposition forces should tighten the ranks to prevent the victory of the Republican Party in power in the upcoming elections. He said the Armenian authorities will try to stuff the ballots and thus risk “post-electoral” revolutionary cataclysms.

Ohanian was also courted by Vartan Oskanian, a former foreign minister very critical of the current government. Oskanian expressed hope earlier this month that the former head of defense will team up with his Consolidation party in June.

Monday 26 December 2016,
Claire © armenews.com