Seven people broke into precinct 10/15
During the calculation of ballot papers after yesterday's parliamentary by-election the chairman of precinct 10-15, Artashes Marukyan, put a pile of ballot papers aside. Mr. Marukyan later admitted that it was a rough breach of the Electoral Code.
"I am a human being, can you understand it? I was exhausted after a hard day and my nerves gave in. The cameras have been fixed on me all day long, they shoot everything even the inside of the ballot box. I can say that these people are not content with the normal voting procedure," Mr. Marukyan told A1+.
Saying "these people" the commission chairman meant candidate Nikol Pashinyan's proxies, observers and journalists.
Artashes Marukyan says David Hakobyan has gained 6 votes, Ara Simonyan 367 and Nikol Pashinyan 201 at precinct 10/15.
He didn't want to detail the disorder at the precinct saying: "Nothing serious has happened at the precinct."
A1+ learnt the details from the observers. Arayik Zaryan, an observer of Vanadzor-based regional branch of the Armenian Helsinki Citizens' Assembly, told A1+ that 6-7 youngsters had broke into the precinct at about 10.30p.m. and forbade the journalists to shoot inside the premises.
They took the ballot papers laid aside by the chairman and brought back a few minutes later. According to the observers over 100 ballots were later found cast in favour of Ara Simonyan.
Pashinyan's proxies tried to record the incident but the commission chairman refused to accept the record. Pashinyan's representatives handed the records to the Territorial Election Commission with a demand to cancel the election results of precinct10/15.
