Observers record violations
On May 6, the Helsinki Citizens' Assembly Vanadzor Office registered several violations while observing the elections, particularly:
• At polling station N 7/02 in the Malatia-Sebastia district of Yerevan, the head of the electoral commission didn't allow the observer from the HCA Vanadzor Office to take part in the commission's session, saying that Point 1 in the certificate of local observers of the NA elections granted by the RA Central Electoral Commission states that observers don't have the right to attend the electoral commission's sessions. The organization immediately appealed to the RA Central Electoral Commission, after which the observer was allowed to participate in the session.
• Polling station N 7/30 of the Malatia-Sebastia district is stationed on the first floor, and the ballot boxes are placed in front of windows, which is a violation of the confidentiality of the vote.
The flaw was fixed after the interference of the HCA's observer.
• There was not enough lighting in a voting room at polling station N 7/35 of the Malatia-Sebastia district, and lamps were placed after the observer's interference.
• The ballot box at polling station N 30/36 in Vanadzor is placed in such a way that it doesn't ensure the voter's right to confidentiality of the vote as established by the law.
• The photo of RA President Serzh Sargsyan was posted in the voting room at polling stations N 30/33, 30/36 and 29/03.
• A booklet reading "Forward, Armenia" was posted in voting room N 30/22 and the flaw was fixed after an observer's interference.
• Two people placed their ballots in the same ballot box at the same time at polling stations N 30/37, 7/09.
• There were accumulations of ballots at polling station N 30/37. Bus N 5 of Vanadzor brought citizens to the polling station three times.
The observers of the HCA Vanadzor Office record that the stamp in the identification documents disappeared at polling stations N 30/07, 30/22, 31/05, 35/39, 30/37, 33/77, 29/3 in Vanadzor.
The organization is observing the elections in Vanadzor, Yerevan, Ijevan and Gyumri.
The HCA Vanadzor Office observers continue to observe the elections and will provide information about any other violations.
