In response to hearsay that the opposition rallies are unauthorized Hanrapetutyun party informed that it had received a relative permission for the conduction of rallies near Matenadaran on November 27,28 and 28. {BR} Taking into account the positive answer of the city administration other opposition parties joined the rally on November 29. “The decision was followed by anti-constitutional statement...

”The referendum on constitutional amendments did not meet criteria of democratic election,” It’s Your Choice NGO chairman Harutyun Hambartsumyan stated today. To remind, the organization was observing the referendum on November 27. {BR} In his opinion, serious violations such as illegal agitation, infringement of the rights of voters, etc. took place. It’s Your Choice performed observing mission in 1300 constituencies. “The violations that...

Today leader of the National Democratic Union Vazgen Manukyan has published a statement, which says in part, “The fact that the Public Television breaking all the state laws does not furnish the population with impartial information but serves as an instrument for the authorities, is not a novelty. {BR} Unfortunately TV companies in Armenia are guided by one center and lack of freedom of speech...

Today the Department of State's Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs has issued its assessments of the referendum on the constitutional amendments held in Armenia on November 27. {BR} The statements says, "The United States recognizes the substance of the provisions considered by the referendum as potentially strengthening democratic institutions in Armenia. We share the regret of the Council...

Today the policemen did not allow the members of the Communist Party to enter Yerevan alleging their intention to participate in the opposition rally. Communists fro Hrazdan, Echmiadzin, Armavir managed to enter Yerevan, however those from Vayots Dzor did not succeed in persuading the policemen. {BR} The Communist Party does not participate in the opposition rallies, since its ideology conflicts with...

Today at about 9 a.m. local time an office of the police department of the town of Abovyan visited the family of Sagrsyans residing in the town and took Vahan Sargsyan to the police station.{BR} To note, till 1998 Vahan Sargsyan occupied the post of chief of the military police of Kotayk region. Presently he writes poems with political subject and takes part in the opposition activities. His daughter,...

Yesterday evening officers of the Arabkir police department visited the Center of National and International Studies. {BR} The policemen told the that relative measures will be taken in case of an unauthorized rally or any other move of the kind. To remind, today at 4 p.m. a regular opposition rally will be held. The initiators said the strategy will be determined today. To remind, the city administration...

Today the Referendum Central Committee announced the preliminary results of the Constitutional Referendum and ratified it in protocol. According to the information, in 1966 polling stations opened in the Republic of Armenia and 28 other countries 1 million 513 thousand 541 of the registered 2 million 317 thousand 351 citizens participated in the referendum. {BR} 93.3% of the participants has said...

“The results of the constitutional referendum in Vanadzor are fabricated and do not correspond to the standards of free and fair elections”, the announcement of the Helsinki Civic Assembly Vanadzor office says. {BR} On November 27 the members of the organization realized observers mission and recorded mass violations in all the polling stations that they visited. “The same people voted in different stations, they voted for their relatives...

«Even in case of minute analysis of the violations and forgeries the results of the referendum cannot be cannot be cast doubt on», NA deputy speaker Tigran Torosyan said in an interview with the journalists. {BR} He considers that «it is impossible to organize flawless elections absolutely compliant with the international standards» and he believes in the evaluation of the international observers. “They are the most unbiased”, he noted. And...

There were about 5000 people today near the Matenadaran in the authorized meeting organized by the opposition in which all the leaders of the opposition were present. {BR} «We shall fight together and eliminate the illegal administration», leader of the People's Party Stepan Demirchyan announced. He was greeted by the people. Leader of the party «Democratic Homeland» Petros Makeyan announced...

President of the Constitutional Referendum Preliminary Works Coordinating Council Mher Shahgeldyan thinks that during the elections people have been very active as they realized the importance of the amendments. But after the journalists claimed that the passiveness of the people was unprecedented Mher Shahgeldyan noted that it was before midday; according to him after 12:00 people became considerably...

Today the 14 observers of the PACE and Congress of Local and Regional Authorities rendered a press conference about their impression of the Constitutional Referendum. They were convinced that 1.5 million people have not participated in the referendum and that the number is fabricated. “In my opinion the number 1.5 million does not correspond to reality, but I am sure that 782 people have said “Yes” to the draft”, Lord Tomlinson said. {BR} The...

GENERAL COMPLIANCE MARRED BY INCIDENTS OF SERIOUS ABUSE The Council of Europe observers to the Constitutional Referendum held on 27 November 2005 in Armenia regret the decision taken by the authorities which precluded the attendance of any other international observers. The transparency of the referendum was further hampered by the decision of the parliamentary opposition to call on their members...

The meeting of the opposition started in the area near the Matenadaran. Almost all the leaders of the joint oppositional parties are at present standing on the Matenadaran platform. {BR} The meeting was opened by the leader of the People’s Party Stepan Demirchyan who refuted the information about the disagreements in the opposition. According to the A1+ correspondent, the area near the Matenadaran is full of people.

«We followed the way of not the legislative but the political struggle», head of the Justice bloc headquarters Viktor Dallakyan said. Asked the question if it means that they have renounced the constitutional way of struggle Dallakyan answered that the authority is seized, and whichever way is used to return it to the people it will be considered Constitutional. {BR} Dallakyan said that they have...

“The Constitutional Referendum is forged. Only 8.14% of the population has participated in the referendum half of which has said “No” to the draft”, this was the announcement of the representatives of the opposition in the concluding press conference today. {BR} The official data about the referendum allowed the opposition to announce that the only way to get rid of the authorities is a revolution. The opposition promised to start the new...

Universal indifference, empty polling stations, empty streets, and semi-empty meeting square. The society was indifferent not only towards the referendum, but also towards the meeting organized by the opposition. Both the authorities and the opposition were disappointed by the absence of quorum. {BR} At 06:00 p.m. the opposition meeting started with about 300 people, although at 07:00 their number...

While observer of the Democratic Homeland party Rouzan Vardanyan assured us that by 05:45 p.m. only 180 people have voted in the 10/9 polling station, head of the Committee Arthur Poghosyan informed us that 600 people have voted already. The picture was the same in all the stations: the number of the ballots and the numbers announced by the heads of the Committees did not coincide. {BR} By the way,...

“Never have the people been as passive as today”, this was the evaluation of anyone who spent at least a minute in any of the polling stations. The emptiness was total: even the members of the Committee left the stations because of idleness and cold and went to the warm rooms. For example, in the “Metax” district 9/3 polling station at about 05:30 p.m. we witnessed a scene where only a member...

The opposition is going to apply to court in connection with the violations. According to the RA Law on Referendum and the Electoral Code, there are two factors affecting the results of the referendum – the agitation and the realization phases. {BR} «Everyone, including the European structures pay attention to the realization of the referendum. The Constitutional amendments referendum was already forged in the agitation phase», Coordinator of...

The Central Electoral Committee announced the fresh data about the participation by 05:00 p.m. According to them, 1 million 26 thousand 300 citizens have already participated in the referendum. According to official data it forms 44.6% of the overall number of voters. {BR} 10 901 people have participated in the referendum abroad. At 05:00 p.m. voting started in Ottawa, New York and Washington, and finished in Vladivostok and Beijing.

Those boycotting the referendum have created an informational center to record and summarize all the violations and forgeries of the referendum. They will be provided with the information by about 6.5 thousand observers. {BR} The data represented by the center differ greatly from those represented by the Central Electoral Committee. «The authorities are engaged in created masterpieces of art in the...

The data of the CEC according to which by 02:00 p.m. 602 thousand 778 people had participated in the referendum gave leader of the National Unity Artashes Geghamyan the possibility to make calculations. It turns out that a citizen votes every minute. «It is absurd», Artashes Geghamyan mentions. {BR} According to him, the observers of the party from the 439 polling stations of the country informed...