PAP supporters  protest outside Armenia`s CEC, demanding repeat votes  at polling stations with annulled election results

ArmInfo.  Supporters of the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) held a protest outside the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) over over what they termed the "theft of votes" required for the political force to enter parliament. They are  demanding the Commission restore justice and hold a repeat vote  at  those polling stations where the results were previously annulled.

In response to the protest, a heavy police presence was deployed to  the CEC building. During the protest, PAP supporters declared that if  the CEC fails to hold a repeat vote, it will be crossing all red  lines and will be held accountable in the future. Protesters chanted  outside the building, "We say no to this government and this  electoral fraud!" They also called on the public to unite, join their  protest, and fight together against these unlawful actions.

During the protest, party candidate and politician Suren Surenyants  expressed his conviction that what was happening was the fulfillment  of the authorities' political orders. He stated that the authorities'  actions were motivated by the understanding that they didn't win  these elections. "The decision to annul the results at two polling  stations should have been made on June 7th, not late last night, or  should not have been made at all. They are now simply doing  everything they can to prevent the PAP from entering parliament,"  Surenyants clarified.

Speaking on the party's next steps under the current circumstances,  the PAP parliamentary candidate noted that they intend to utilize the  full spectrum of legal and political tools to protect every single  voter's ballot.  "We currently intend to work on two fronts. The  first is legal. Our legal team is currently actively working not only  to restore justice at these two polling stations, but we are also  assessing the extent of violations across the country and intend to  submit a package of documents outlining all the contentious issues  and seek a decision to hold a repeat vote at both polling stations,"  the politician said.

Furthermore, Surenyants continued, they intend to consistently seek a  logical resolution to the current crisis in the country, ultimately  leading to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's resignation. In this  regard, the party candidate explained, they have begun negotiations  with other opposition forces. Surenyants assured that the opposition  has now consolidated its position on protecting electoral rights.  "Let's unite, be consistent in our actions, and then sooner or later  Pashinyan will step down," Surenyants noted. 

In turn, PAP candidate Sona Aghekyan told reporters that they  understand perfectly well whose orders are behind all of this. She  noted that an illegal case was first initiated against the number two  candidate on their electoral list, Andranik Tevanyan, and then the  apartment of their ally, Aregnaz Manukyan, was searched.  Aghekyan  expressed her conviction that this was an attempt to silence their  supporters.

"However, it is better to be a political prisoner in your own country  today than to be free and do nothing," Agekyan concluded.  "Essentially, [Prime Minister Nikol] Pashinyan can simply announce  the annulment of the results at two polling stations, thereby  violating numerous laws—including the rights of voters who cast their  ballots for the forces they trust. This means that a dictatorship has  been established in Armenia today, and the country is governed by the  Turkish-Azerbaijani tandem, of which Pashinyan is the  representative." Aghekyan concluded.

It should be noted that during the protest, representatives of the  Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP), led by Gevorg Stepanyan, were  received by the Central Election Commission. They were told that the  Commission does not yet have final results and therefore cannot take  any action. The Commission, however, agreed that the party's votes  had been taken away. Furthermore, according to Stepanyan, the Central  Election Commission acknowledged that military personnel were brought  to polling stations late in the evening after voting concluded, which  constitutes a violation of the electoral process. The Commission also  acknowledged that those who voted at polling stations whose results  were subsequently annulled were disenfranchised, and therefore a  rerun of the vote must be held there. However, as PAP supporters  clarified, the Central Election Commission stated that its board must  make the final decision on all these matters. The final decision on  this matter will be clear tomorrow, June 13.

As part of the protest, Tsarukyan's supporters left a piece of paper  and paint ouside the building, declaring that if CEC Chairman Vahagn  Hovakimyan wants to draw votes again, he should draw Mount Ararat  instead.