Is This Not a Crime? Alarm Raised

Facebook user Vahe Gevorgyan has published a photo from precinct 10/22 and expressed his curiosity: "Is this not a crime?"

In 19 polling stations, three trusted individuals from the "Armenia" alliance were present simultaneously, while in 12 polling stations, our observers noted individuals in the station with the number 24 written on their clothing, which we qualify as campaigning in favor of the "Armenia" alliance. In the Kajaran region, the simultaneous presence of three trusted individuals from the "Armenia" alliance in precinct 35/56 led to a dispute, which eventually escalated into a scuffle at the polling station. This was reported by Daniel Ioannisyan, a representative of the "Independent Observer" initiative, during a press conference.

"In a number of polling stations, it has been recorded that the chairperson of the committee does not have a grip on the legislation, but I must say that the number of such polling stations is lower compared to previous ones. Only in four polling stations was it recorded in the morning that the chairperson of the committee did not fulfill their obligations, and in two of those stations, in fact, the responsibilities of the chairpersons were taken over by trusted individuals, which is problematic," he noted.

Ioannisyan also mentioned that they are monitoring reports about violations through cameras and media to verify their accuracy: "We received very concerning information regarding precinct 34/03 in Goris, where soldiers are allegedly conducting open voting. The precinct was monitored by cameras from the moment it opened until the time of the report. Although soldiers were indeed voting there, they were doing so in voting booths, and all ballots went into the ballot boxes. In other words, cases of open voting or violations of voting confidentiality were not detected, and it became clear that the reports do not reflect reality."

According to Daniel Ioannisyan, currently, 96.6% of the cameras installed in the polling stations are operational: "This is perhaps a slightly higher percentage than during the snap parliamentary elections of 2018 for this time. However, compared to yesterday, that number is decreasing. In other words, the trend is that issues related to cameras are being resolved, and the number is declining. But it is still more than before."

Ioannisyan noted that they are also monitoring the activities of law enforcement agencies, the CEC, and the administrative court in relation to electoral disputes.

"There is one problematic case concerning Armen Charchyan. Regarding the pre-trial measure of choosing detention, the prosecution should first receive the CEC's decision. The CEC entered the relevant application from the prosecutor's office more than 30 hours ago, on the night of the 19th, and the CEC has not discussed that application to this point, resulting in the prosecuting body being in uncertainty and unable to present a motion to the court for the detention. Due to the prolonged delay, the person alleged to have committed a crime has been released," he concluded.