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Armenians Vote in Closely Watched Ballot Armenians Vote in Closely Watched Ballot
(about 9 hours later)
MOSCOW — Armenians went to the polls on Monday in a presidential election that seemed certain to return President Serzh Sargsyan to office for a second five-year term, and to maintain stability in a country that has become an increasingly important, if uneasy, United States ally in monitoring Iran’s nuclear ambitions.MOSCOW — Armenians went to the polls on Monday in a presidential election that seemed certain to return President Serzh Sargsyan to office for a second five-year term, and to maintain stability in a country that has become an increasingly important, if uneasy, United States ally in monitoring Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Mr. Sargsyan, 58, a veteran politician, is generally viewed as having presided over modest economic improvements in recent years, even as the country has struggled because of closed borders with Turkey and with Azerbaijan, its enemy in the ongoing war over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. A veteran politician, Mr. Sargsyan, 58, is generally viewed as having presided over modest economic improvements in recent years, even as the country has struggled because of closed borders with Turkey and with Azerbaijan, its enemy in an ongoing war over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Mr. Sargsyan faced relatively weak competition after his two strongest potential challengers and their parties announced last year that they would not compete in the election — former President Levon Ter-Petrossian of the Armenian National Congress and Gagik Tsarukyan of the Prosperous Armenia Party. Mr. Tsarukyan is a wealthy businessman, lawmaker and the head of Armenia’s national Olympic committee. But while Mr. Sargysan’s victory has been predicted for months, there have been some unexpected developments in the campaign. One challenger, Andreas Ghukasian, a political commentator who manages a radio station in the capital Yerevan, has been on a hunger-strike demanding that the incumbent be removed from the ballot.
But while Mr. Sargysan’s victory has been predicted for months, there have been some unexpected developments in the campaign. One challenger, Andreas Ghukasian, a political commentator who manages a radio station in the capital Yerevan, has been on a hunger-strike demanding that Mr. Sargsyan be removed from the ballot.
Another challenger, Paruir A. Airikyan, was shot in the shoulder in late January in what the authorities described as an assassination attempt, although there was no known motive. Mr. Airikyan is a former Soviet dissident who promoted Armenian independence and has run unsuccessfully for president several times previously.Another challenger, Paruir A. Airikyan, was shot in the shoulder in late January in what the authorities described as an assassination attempt, although there was no known motive. Mr. Airikyan is a former Soviet dissident who promoted Armenian independence and has run unsuccessfully for president several times previously.
He briefly considered invoking a Constitutional provision to delay the election for two weeks as a result of his injury but ultimately decided to allow the balloting to proceed.He briefly considered invoking a Constitutional provision to delay the election for two weeks as a result of his injury but ultimately decided to allow the balloting to proceed.
Mr. Sargsyan’s expected second term will be watched closely for any sign of progress in resolving the war with Azerbaijan, and for any indication that Armenia reduces support for economic sanctions against Iran, as those sanctions make life more difficult in both countries.Mr. Sargsyan’s expected second term will be watched closely for any sign of progress in resolving the war with Azerbaijan, and for any indication that Armenia reduces support for economic sanctions against Iran, as those sanctions make life more difficult in both countries.
The conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh continues at a low simmer with period violence along the line of contact, including frequent exchanges of gunfire and occasional casualties. Peace talks led by the so-called Minsk Group, which is chaired by the United States, Russia and France, have mostly stalled. The conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh continues at a low simmer with periodic violence along the line of contact, including frequent exchanges of gunfire and occasional casualties. Peace talks led by the so-called Minsk Group, which is led by the United States, Russia and France, have mostly stalled.
With the border with Turkey still closed because of historic animosities and Turkey’s ties with Azerbaijan, Armenia has traditionally relied heavily on Iran as an economic partner but those ties are now constrained by sanctions over Iran’s nuclear program. Western powers accuse Tehran of seeking the technology to build nuclear weapons, but Iran denies the charges. The suspicions about the program have prompted the imposition of a broadening array of United States, United Nations and European Union sanctions. Armenia has traditionally relied heavily on Iran as an economic partner, but those ties are now constrained by sanctions over Iran’s nuclear program. Iran insists its purposes are peaceful, but Western powers accuse Tehran of seeking the technology to build nuclear weapons and have imposed a broadening array of United States, . United Nations and European Union sanctions.
Armenia has supported the measures, while continuing to engage in permissible economic activity, such as swapping electricity for natural gas from Iran with no money changing hands. Armenia has supported the measures, while continuing to engage in some trade that circumvents them, like swapping its electricity for natural gas from Iran with no money changing hands.
“Having Iran as your economic lifeline is not a good position to be in,” said one senior Western diplomat, who asked not to be identified to avoid creating any tension with players in the region. “They have been very very careful, very very good, at some cost to Armenia, to honor international U.N., U.S. and E.U. sanctions against Iran,” this diplomat said. “But it’s increasingly difficult for them to do that.”“Having Iran as your economic lifeline is not a good position to be in,” said one senior Western diplomat, who asked not to be identified to avoid creating any tension with players in the region. “They have been very very careful, very very good, at some cost to Armenia, to honor international U.N., U.S. and E.U. sanctions against Iran,” this diplomat said. “But it’s increasingly difficult for them to do that.”
International election observers have fanned out across Armenia in recent days. Initial reports suggested that that Mr. Sargsyan’s party has made some inappropriate use of government resources to promote his candidacy, a common criticism of incumbent candidates in former Soviet republics. But observers say the overall climate has improved, with opposition candidates, for instance, enjoying better access to coverage by the news media. International election observers have fanned out across Armenia in recent days. Initial reports suggested that that Mr. Sargsyan’s party has made some inappropriate use of government resources to promote his candidacy, a common criticism of incumbent candidates in former Soviet republics. But observers say the overall political climate has improved, with opposition candidates, for instance, enjoying better access to coverage by the news media.
Armenia faces a peculiar problem when it comes to potential election fraud because of the hundreds of thousands of Armenia citizens who live abroad, including in the United States percentage-wise one of the largest percentage diasporas in the world given Armenia’s population of 3.1 million, according to the World Bank. Still, Armenia faces a peculiar problem when it comes to potential election fraud because of the hundreds of thousands of Armenia citizens who live abroad, including in the United States — one of the largest percentage diasporas in the world given Armenia’s population of 3.1 million, according to the World Bank. But with few exceptions, absentee balloting is not permitted. That means the Armenian election rolls are filled with the names of people who will not appear in person to vote, creating the potential for fraudulent use of those names.
By law, with few exceptions, absentee balloting is not permitted. As a result, experts say, the Armenian election rolls are filled with the names of people who will not appear in person to vote, creating the potential for fraudulent use of those names. Mr. Sargsyan faced relatively weak competition after his two strongest potential challengers and their parties announced last year that they would not compete in the election — former President Levon Ter-Petrossian of the Armenian National Congress and Gagik Tsarukyan of the Prosperous Armenia Party. Mr. Tsarukyan is a wealthy businessman, lawmaker and the head of Armenia’s national Olympic committee.
Mr. Sargsyan and his wife, Rita, paused on Monday to speak with reporters after voting at School No. 24 in Yerevan. “I have voted for the security of our citizens and our families,” he said, according to aysor.am, an Armenian Internet news site.Mr. Sargsyan and his wife, Rita, paused on Monday to speak with reporters after voting at School No. 24 in Yerevan. “I have voted for the security of our citizens and our families,” he said, according to aysor.am, an Armenian Internet news site.