“DO YOU KNOW…?”
Support A1+!“The PACE Ad hoc Committee found the presidential election in Armenia, on 19 February 2008, mostly in line with Council of Europe standards. Do you know that there are nine victims and political prisoners in Armenia? Fundamental human rights are restricted in the country, and the opposition challenges the President’s legitimacy…” Hungarian parliamentarian Zlolt Nemeth posed the question to John Prescott during his addressing speech at the PACE spring session.
Zlolt Nemeth thinks the Council of Europe should urge Armenia’s authorities to launch an independent investigation. He suggested changing the order of observation missions as European observers frequently “legitimize non-democratic elections.”
Swedish parliamentarian Marietta de Pourbaix-Lundin was in Armenia to monitor the election. She says she has observed elections in many countries but nowhere had she seen such large-scale election fraud.
Today she told PACE delegates how she had witnessed a case of election rigging at a precinct. She says the votes cast for Ter-Petrossian were tabulated in favour of Serzh Sarkissian. “By the way, the chairperson of the precinct was well aware of it. Everything was done to help Serzh Sarkissian win the election.”
She also noticed Serzh Sarkissian’s supporters “kicking up a row.” The interpreter advised her to record the incident keeping silent. The following day the International Observation Mission announced that the presidential election was in line with international standards.
She recalled another incident. A policeman banned her to shoot the building of the Armenian Parliament saying “it is a secret building.” “Can we speak of democracy in a country where the parliament is considered a secret building?” said Marietta de Pourbaix-Lundin.
