Violations Continued up until the End of Voting
23:02, February 18, 2013 | Press Release | Electoral RightsThe results of observation mission carried out by HCA Vanadzor on the voting day for the time period of 16:00-20:00 p.m., as well as measures taken regarding the violations recorded by the Organization during the day.
Impeding freedom of expression of voters’ will /cases of directing voters
- The Commission members and proxies inquired from the voters who they had voted at #41/2 precinct.
- Head of Housing Maintenance Office and at the same time Serzh Sargsyan’s proxy at #30/34 precinct called some citizen and instructed loudly, “ Have the car parked not to wait there in vain, well, I don’t know, gather and bring them”. The latter also directed voters by instructing who to vote.
- The minivan with 0528L yellow state number has transported the voters to #30/02 precinct.
- During 11:00-16:00 p.m. time period more than a dozen of young men were assembled in the vicinity of # 41/23 precinct of Ijevan city, who periodically approached the voters and offered their help with the voters’ list, and then told in a low key to vote for Serzh Sargsyan.
- Tavoush Region Governor Armen Ghularyan’s son appeared several times in the area of 41/23 precinct and stayed for longer periods. Rudik Davtyan, Chairman of Tavoush region “Yerkrapah Volunteer Union”, parked his car near the precinct area and over an hour set on a “chair” next to his car.
- Serzh Sargsyan’s proxies at # 41/23, #41/26 precincts often went out of the voting room to meet with other fellow proxies outside and oversee the flow of voters.
Overcrowding
- Around 10:00 a.m. an overcrowding of people was recorded in the area of # 41/11 precinct/Teghut village, Tavoush region/. We don’t mean overcrowding of voters but of a few dozens of men leaded by Teghut Mayor Ararat Tamrazyan, who were standing near the precinct area “doing nothing” as they termed it. The Organization’s observer drew the attention of the police officials on duty to that fact; however, no measures were taken by them regarding it.
- In #41/19 precinct / Gandzakar village, Tavoush region/at around 15:00 p.m. Avagani members of the community, as if helped the voters to find their names in the voters’ list, however, as the Organization’s observer has witnessed, they have also put down the name and surname of those persons on a piece of paper.
- At around 10:30 a.m. over a dozen of young men were standing near the #41/13 precinct of Haghatsin village who didn’t have any obvious status. Captain Armen Kocharyan, a police official on duty, told the Organization’s observer they didn’t anyhow violate the law, nonetheless, the young men left the precinct area by avoiding camera recoding.
Presence of unauthorized persons at precinct center
- More than one proxies of Serzh Sargsyan were at the same time present in the voting room at # 41/23 precinct.
- Two proxies of Serzh Sargsyan were at the same time present in #41/26 precinct at about 08:00 a.m. After the observer’s interference, a dispute began between the observer and one of Serzh Sargsyan’s proxies, who was also the responsible of one of S. Sargsyan’s pre-election headquarters. The proxy was dismissed from the voting room; however, the latter was present in the precinct area until the end of voting and using his lists at hand phoned voters by calling them to the precinct.
- In the area of #41/26 precinct a citizen, who avoided introducing, said that he had been appointed a responsible for the building. He was responsible to ensure voting of the building residents.
- At 10:30 a.m. it was recorded that two proxies of Serzh Sargsyan were at the same time present in the #41/12 precinct of Haghatsin village. One of the proxies didn’t have the respective certificates, but within 2 hours after the observer’s efforts to point out the fact to the Commission Chairman the latter had an unrestricted access to the precinct.
Violations of Voting Order
- Raffi Hovhannisian’s proxy alerted the Organization’s observer that the voters’ list at #40/46 precinct included names of deceased people that were already signed in their stead.
- Observer of “Choice is Yours” organization at #29/17 precinct/located in school area/ who was at the same time the school librarian, was present there without the accreditation certificate issued by the RA Central Election Commission. When the Organization observer applied to the Commission Chairman to eliminate the violation, the proxy went promptly after the certificate, while the Chairman noted that the proxy had shown the certificate in the morning.
Other Violations
- One of the Commission members of #40/41 precinct /Sevkar village, Tavoush region/ alerted that more than 100 servicemen had been brought to the precinct, but only 4 names of servicemen from that military unit were incorporated in the voters’ list, an attempt was made to administer the voting of all soldiers there, but it was prevented by a ANC member.
Measures taken based on the violations recorded by the Organization
The Organization sent out 7 letters over the violations recorded by the observers conducting observation mission to relevant bodies.
Specifically:
One letter was sent to the RA Central Election Commission by the Organization regarding the fact that 2 proxies of Serzh Sargsyan were simultaneously present in the same precinct.
The Commission members at # 29/18, 29/27, 31/01, 30/20, 31/25 precincts didn’t provide information to the observers regarding the number of voters every 1 hour. A letter was sent to the RA Central Election Commission by the Organization with a request to take measures regarding the reinstatement of observers’ rights to receive information.
Avetik Abazyan, Serzh Sargsyan’s proxy at # 29/21 precinct approached the voters and conversed with them prior to voting and later after casting ballots he again approached his co-villagers and talked with them. After the voters had left the precinct, the proxy made a note in his list. The organization sent a letter to # 29 Regional Electoral Commission to eliminate the violation.
The Organization’s observer recorded that the Commission members at #32/14 precinct signed and filled in passport data opposite names of persons, who didn’t participate in the voting or didn’t come for voting. The organization reported it to the RA Police.
Statements /3 in total/ over the violation recorded by the Organization were sent out to the RA Police, it was attempted to send the copies of those statements to the RA Central Election Commission via the Organization’s fax, but it didn’t work out due to fax overloading.