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Armenian President Set To Win Reelection As Polls Close

February 18, 2013
by RFE/RL's Armenian Service

YEREVAN -- Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian appears set to win reelection.

An exit poll carried by Armenian television after voting ended on February 18 showed Sarkisian was on course to win reelection to a second five-year term with around 58 percent of votes cast.

The exit poll, conducted by Gallup International, put the closest of Sarkisian's six rivals, U.S.-born former Foreign Minister Raffi Hovannisian, at around 32 percent.

Former Prime Minister Hrant Bagratian was on course for 3 percent, as was Soviet-era dissident Paruyr Hairikian.

The Central Election Commission said turnout was just over 60 percent.

Speaking to journalists on February 18 after voting in Yerevan, Sarkisian said he voted 'for Armenia's future, for prosperous Armenia, for the wealth of our citizens and our families.

Meanwhile, the Prosecutor-General's Office says it has received several complaints from opposition groups claiming violations of electoral regulations at some polling stations.

The ombudsman's office confirmed the complaints and said that all the cases will be investigated.

Sarkisian declined to answer an RFE/RL correspondent's question regarding the fairness of the election process, saying that 'we'll only see that after the election results have been summarized.'

This poll is Armenia's fifth presidential election since gaining independence after the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991.

The election follows a campaign marred by an assassination attempt that wounded Hairikian, and a hunger strike by another, Andrias Ghukasian, who considers the election a fraud.

Violence and controversy are no strangers to Armenian politics. Following the 2008 presidential election, 10 people were killed in clashes between police and protesters after Sarkisian was declared the winner.

Sarkisian had been expected to easily win a second term. Surveys showed him taking about 70 percent of the vote.

Richard Giragosian, head of the Regional Studies Center in Yerevan, had little doubt Sarkisian would win.

'It's the least competitive election in Armenian history, therefore increasing pressure on the conduct rather than the results of the election," he said, adding that it "seems likely the incumbent President Sarkisian will return to a second term.'

Faces Tough Task

This year's presidential election comes as Armenia's economy struggles to recover from the recent global financial crisis.

The average monthly salary is about $300, and about a third of the country's 3.2 million people live under the poverty line.

Armenia also remains hobbled by a trade blockade imposed by neighboring Turkey and Azerbaijan since the 1990s war with Azerbaijan over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Speaking to Reuters, Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian suggested the next president faces a tough task.

'People expect their president to ensure security for our country and stability so that other social and economic problems could be solved on this basis,' he said. 'And from this point of view the most important issue to solve will be the creation of jobs for our population.'

Armenia also remains hobbled by a trade blockade imposed by neighboring Turkey and Azerbaijan since the 1990s war with Azerbaijan over the disputed Armenian-controlled territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Years of negotiations involving envoys from France, Russia, and the United States have failed to resolve the conflict.

With reporting by AP, AFP, Reuters, and Interfax

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/armenia- election-/24904899.html

Copyright (c) 2013. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.