OSCE/ODIHR concerned over correlation between very high turnout and the number of votes for the incumbent President

• Saturday, March 2, 14:52

An analysis of the official results of the Feb 18 presidential election in Armenia shows a correlation between very high turnout and the number of votes for the incumbent President. This raises concerns regarding the confidence over the integrity of the electoral process, says the third interim report by the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission.

The report says that a limited number of complaints were filed with the election administration on election day, and over 80 after the election. Almost all were rejected. The police and the Prosecutor General investigated over 300 possible offences and initiated criminal proceedings in some 10 of them.

"Since 20 February, Mr. Hovannisyan has staged a series of protest rallies in Yerevan and several regions, which were joined by some opposition parties and politicians. The gatherings were peaceful and the authorities did not interfere, but the police stated that they are illegal and could lead to administrative liability. There were requests for recounts and for invalidation of results of 132 Precinct Election Commissions (PECs), almost all filed by Mr. Hovannisyan. Three recount requests initiated by election commissions were upheld and revealed minor discrepancies from the original counts. All other requests were rejected on the grounds that complainants were not entitled to file them," the report says.

The final report, including recommendations, will be published within two months after the election.