Aravot

Article: “100 percent list”, where does it come from? (31.03.09)
Author: Naira Mamikonyan
The author reports that Levon Zurabyan, the coordinator of Armenian National Congress (ANC), in his interview with Aravot told that they got numerous complains from Yerevan citizens who are forced to sign lists which will ensure their votes in favor to Gagik Beglaryan, Republican Party member. The author goes on stipulating that the above actions are useless as citizens would give their vote for party and not for a particular candidate. Aravot asked Eduard Shahnazarov, Republican Party press secretary, to clarify the news in circulation. Shahnazarov negated the news and told that the party would start their campaign according to timelines stipulated by law.


Hayastani Hanrapetutyun

Headline: Neither criminalization nor politicization (02.04.09)
Gevorg Poghosyan, Association of Sociology chairman, told that the Yerevan Municipal Elections would have high turnover and added that Republican Party and Armenian National Congress (HAK) would have a chance to overcome the 40 percent baseline.

Aravot

Article: Still only one observer (02.04.09)
The newspaper reports that still only one Non-Governmental Organization “Center of Armenian Parlamentarizm” have applied to Central Electoral Commission (CEC) for implementing observation mission.

Hayastani Hanrapetutyun

Headline: No preelection fund is established (03.04.09)
Author: Ofelya Kamavosyan
Central Electoral Commission (CEC) informs that they still have got no information from Central Bank concerning party funds. According to timeline, parties can open accounts for funding their pre-election campaign starting from March 17, 2009. Abraham Bakhchagulyan, CEC secretary, informed that Central Bank send reports on money transfers of the parties’ pre-election funds once in three days and that every political force have to submit financial report on the 10th day of the official pre-election campaign start. He also added that this would allow CEC to monitor party expenses.


Hayastani Hanrapetutyun

03.04.09
On Central Electoral Commission (CEC) session, it was decided to invite chairman of Nagorno Karabakh Central Electoral Commission, OSCE member state ambassadors, OSCE Yerevan mission head, special representative of Secretary General of Council of Europe for observation mission.
Tatev Ohanyan, CEC press secretary, informed that registration of the observation missions started from March 21, 2009 and would end 10-days prior to the Election Day on May 31, 2009.