Arakelutyun: Atmosphere of fear felt in electoral commissions
The recent municipal elections in Yerevan discredited the Institute of Electoral Commissions, says Manuk Sukiasyan, a member of the Arakelutyun (Mission) Party.
He felt an atmosphere of fear in electoral commissions which, he says, hindered the commissions from carrying out their duties properly.
"In the given atmosphere of fear the chairman of the commission, who was supposed to prevent cases of double-voting and "carousel," failed to perform his responsibilities and prevent invalid ballots from appearing in the ballot box," said Sukiasyan.
The Arakelutyun party member says the presence of international observers and recalculations were informal as they did not reflect the reality. Speaking about the small number of votes his party scored in the May 5 elections, Manuk Sukiasyan said they did not expect such a low percentage.
"Despite the election results, the process of improvement and crystallization will continue inside the party," he said.
Arakelutyun polled 2692 votes (0.64 %) in the May 5 City Council elections, which was not enough to clear the 6 percent vote threshold for gaining representation in the City Council.
