Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''Ox ...

Levon Ter-Petrosyan Levon Hakobi Ter-Petrosyan ( hy, Լևոն Հակոբի Տեր-Պետրոսյան; born 9 January 1945), also known by his initials LTP, is an Armenian politician who served as the first president of Armenia from 1991 until his resignation in 1998 ...

Serzh Sargsyan Serzh Azati Sargsyan ( hy, Սերժ Ազատի Սարգսյան, ; born 30 June 1954)Of ...

apathy Apathy is a lack of feeling, emotion, interest, or concern about something. It is a state of indifference, or the suppression of emotions such as concern, excitement, motivation, or passion. An apathetic individual has an absence of intere ...

Paruyr Hayrikyan Paruyr Arshaviri Hayrikyan (born July 5, 1949) is an Armenian politician and former Soviet dissident. He was an early member and leader of the National United Party (NUP), which sought Armenia's independence from the Soviet Union. He spent a tot ...

Raffi Hovannisian Raffi K. Richardi Hovannisian ( hy, Րաֆֆի Կ. Ռիչարդի Հովհաննիսյան; hyw, Րաֆֆի Կ. Ռիչարդի Յովհաննէսեան; born 20 November 1959) is an Armenian politician, the first Foreign Minister of Armenia and t ...

Hrant Bagratyan Hrant Ararati Bagratyan ( hy, Հրանտ Արարատի Բագրատյան; born 18 October 1958) is an Armenian politician. He was the Prime Minister of Armenia from 2 February 1993 until 4 November 1996, and a former member of the Pan-Armenia ...

Raffi Hovannisian Raffi K. Richardi Hovannisian ( hy, Րաֆֆի Կ. Ռիչարդի Հովհաննիսյան; hyw, Րաֆֆի Կ. Ռիչարդի Յովհաննէսեան; born 20 November 1959) is an Armenian politician, the first Foreign Minister of Armenia and t ...

portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordsArmenian Revolutionary Federation, former President

Levon Ter-Petrosyan Levon Hakobi Ter-Petrosyan ( hy, Լևոն Հակոբի Տեր-Պետրոսյան; born 9 January 1945), also known by his initials LTP, is an Armenian politician who served as the first president of Armenia from 1991 until his resignation in 1998 ...

, former Prime Ministers Aram Sargsyan and

Hrant Bagratyan Hrant Ararati Bagratyan ( hy, Հրանտ Արարատի Բագրատյան; born 18 October 1958) is an Armenian politician. He was the Prime Minister of Armenia from 2 February 1993 until 4 November 1996, and a former member of the Pan-Armenia ...

who came in third, former Minister of Foreign Affairs

Vartan Oskanian Vartan Minasi Oskanian ( hy, Վարդան Մինասի Օսկանյան; born February 7, 1954) is the former Foreign Minister of Armenia (1998–2008) and founder of the Civilitas Foundation. Early life and career Born into a wealthy Armenian ...

, MP Nikol Pashinyan,

Andrias Ghukasyan Andrias Marati Ghukasyan ( hy, Անդրիաս Մարատի Ղուկասյան) is an Armenian political analyst. Ghukasyan was one of seven candidates in the 2013 presidential election. Early life In 1987, he finished secondary school at N83. ...

who came in fifth during the election) have publicly stated that Hovannisian had won the election and the official results are a product of electoral fraud. On 10 March 2013, Hovannisian started a

hunger strike A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke a feeling of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most ...

in Freedom Square. On 14 March 2013, the Constitutional Court of Armenia issued a verdict confirming the victory of President Sargsyan. Hovannisian ended his hunger strike on 31 March 2013. A clash occurred between Hovannisian's supporters and the police forces on Baghramyan Avenue.

Background

The previous presidential election in Armenia was held in February 2008. Sargsyan was announced president with 52.8% of the popular vote. Armenia's first president,

Levon Ter-Petrosyan Levon Hakobi Ter-Petrosyan ( hy, Լևոն Հակոբի Տեր-Պետրոսյան; born 9 January 1945), also known by his initials LTP, is an Armenian politician who served as the first president of Armenia from 1991 until his resignation in 1998 ...

, finished second with 21.5%. Immediately after the results were announced, thousands of Ter-Petrosyan's supporters gathered in Yerevan's Freedom Square to protest against electoral fraud. Eventually, the police and the army (allegedly) clashed with the protesters, resulting in the death of ten people (eight protesters and two policemen). Less than a year earlier—in May 2012—Armenians voted in

parliamentary elections A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...

. The ruling Republican Party of Armenia of President Sargsyan won a majority and formed government. Besides the Republican Party's close partner

Rule of Law The rule of law is the political philosophy that all citizens and institutions within a country, state, or community are accountable to the same laws, including lawmakers and leaders. The rule of law is defined in the ''Encyclopedia Britannica ...

, the other four parties that won seats in parliament, did not recognize the legitimacy of the May election. On 15 December 2012, the Republican Party officially nominated

Serzh Sargsyan Serzh Azati Sargsyan ( hy, Սերժ Ազատի Սարգսյան, ; born 30 June 1954)Of ...

as the party candidate. In December 2012, the second and third largest parties represented in the

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repre ...

announced that they would not nominate candidates, nor will support candidates in the upcoming election. First on 12 December 2012, Prosperous Armenia, the second largest party in parliament, announced their decision. While on 25 December 2012, Armenia's first president

Levon Ter-Petrosyan Levon Hakobi Ter-Petrosyan ( hy, Լևոն Հակոբի Տեր-Պետրոսյան; born 9 January 1945), also known by his initials LTP, is an Armenian politician who served as the first president of Armenia from 1991 until his resignation in 1998 ...

announced that he would not participate in the upcoming election, though it was initially announced that Ter-Petrosyan would be the candidate of the Armenian National Congress (ANC). In May 2012, ANC speaker Levon Zurabyan said that the ANC does not have a better candidate for presidency than Ter-Petrosyan. On 26 December 2012, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation announced their decision not to nominate a candidate. Thus, three major extra-parliamentary parties—the

ARF ARF may refer to: Organizations * Advertising Research Foundation * Animal Rescue Foundation * Armenian Revolutionary Federation * ASEAN Regional Forum People * Cahit Arf (1910–1997), Turkish mathematician Science, medicine, and mathematics * ...

,

ANC The African National Congress (ANC) is a social-democratic political party in South Africa. A liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid, it has governed the country since 1994, when the first post-apartheid election installe ...

and Prosperous Armenia—did not participate in this election. Meanwhile, the

Green Party of Armenia The Green Party of Armenia ( hy, Հայաստանի Կանաչների կուսակցություն, translit=Hayastani Kanach’neri kusakts’ut’yun), also known as the Social-Ecological Party is a Green political party in Armenia. History ...

endorsed Hrant Bagratyan for the presidency.

Candidates

Seven candidates were registered: *

Hrant Bagratyan Hrant Ararati Bagratyan ( hy, Հրանտ Արարատի Բագրատյան; born 18 October 1958) is an Armenian politician. He was the Prime Minister of Armenia from 2 February 1993 until 4 November 1996, and a former member of the Pan-Armenia ...

, the leader of Freedom Party, Prime Minister of Armenia from 1993 to 1996, a member of the Armenian National Congress *

Andrias Ghukasyan Andrias Marati Ghukasyan ( hy, Անդրիաս Մարատի Ղուկասյան) is an Armenian political analyst. Ghukasyan was one of seven candidates in the 2013 presidential election. Early life In 1987, he finished secondary school at N83. ...

, a political analyst, Radio Hay director *

Paruyr Hayrikyan Paruyr Arshaviri Hayrikyan (born July 5, 1949) is an Armenian politician and former Soviet dissident. He was an early member and leader of the National United Party (NUP), which sought Armenia's independence from the Soviet Union. He spent a tot ...

, former Soviet dissident, leader of the

Union for National Self-Determination Union for National Self-Determination ( hy, Ազգային ինքնորոշում միավորում; ''Azgayin ink’noroshum miavorum'') is an Armenian political party. It was founded in 1987 by Paruyr Hayrikyan, a Soviet dissident seeking inde ...

party *

Raffi Hovannisian Raffi K. Richardi Hovannisian ( hy, Րաֆֆի Կ. Ռիչարդի Հովհաննիսյան; hyw, Րաֆֆի Կ. Ռիչարդի Յովհաննէսեան; born 20 November 1959) is an Armenian politician, the first Foreign Minister of Armenia and t ...

, the first Foreign Minister of Armenia (1991-1992), leader of the

Heritage Heritage may refer to: History and society * A heritage asset is a preexisting thing of value today ** Cultural heritage is created by humans ** Natural heritage is not * Heritage language Biology * Heredity, biological inheritance of physical c ...

party *Arman Melikyan, candidate in the 2008 presidential election *

Serzh Sargsyan Serzh Azati Sargsyan ( hy, Սերժ Ազատի Սարգսյան, ; born 30 June 1954)Of ...

, the incumbent President elected in the

disputed Controversy is a state of prolonged public dispute or debate, usually concerning a matter of conflicting opinion or point of view. The word was coined from the Latin ''controversia'', as a composite of ''controversus'' – "turned in an opposite d ...

2008 election This electoral calendar 2008 lists the national/federal direct elections held in 2008 in the de jure and de facto sovereign states and their dependent territories. Referendums are included, even though they are not elections. By-elections are no ...

, leader of ruling

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

* Vardan Sedrakyan, an

epic poetry An epic poem, or simply an epic, is a lengthy narrative poem typically about the extraordinary deeds of extraordinary characters who, in dealings with gods or other superhuman forces, gave shape to the mortal universe for their descendants. ...

expert

Campaign

The campaign started on 21 January and ended on 16 February 2013. On 8 February 2013, Aram Harutyunyan, the leader of the National Conciliation Party, after a one-day hunger strike, submitted a withdrawal statement. ;Ghukasyan's hunger strike One of the candidates,

Andrias Ghukasyan Andrias Marati Ghukasyan ( hy, Անդրիաս Մարատի Ղուկասյան) is an Armenian political analyst. Ghukasyan was one of seven candidates in the 2013 presidential election. Early life In 1987, he finished secondary school at N83. ...

started a hunger strike in front of the

National Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the Nati ...

building on 21 January 2013, demanding to "Stop Fake Elections". Hayrikyan cropped

;Hayrikyan's assassination attempt On 31 January 2013, just before midnight, candidate

Paruyr Hayrikyan Paruyr Arshaviri Hayrikyan (born July 5, 1949) is an Armenian politician and former Soviet dissident. He was an early member and leader of the National United Party (NUP), which sought Armenia's independence from the Soviet Union. He spent a tot ...

was shot in his right clavicle. He was taken to hospital. The doctors saved his life and two days later he was already able to give an interview in the hospital. President Sarksyan stated that "those who were behind this crime aimed to affect the natural flow of elections", and continued that "this outrageous crime is directed not only against presidential candidate and statesman Hayrikyan but against our security." Hayrikyan, who was campaigning on a platform of taking a more

pro-Western The Western world, also known as the West, primarily refers to the various nations and states in the regions of Europe, North America, and Oceania.

foreign policy accused a foreign secret service agency of the attack, possibly

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

, the country's traditional supporter. "I suspect a secret service of a foreign country... I said clearly that there was no alternative for us and we should move closer to

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

. We've had more harm than advantage from imperialistic Russia... I suggest that the assassination attempt is linked to these statements." The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) expressed concern over the incident. Ambassador Janez Lenarcic, the Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, said: "This attack is deeply distressing in view of the electoral process already under way, and I urge all stakeholders to refrain from any actions that might further aggravate the situation." The election could have been postponed by two weeks according to the Electoral Law of Armenia, but on 5 February 2013, Hayrikyan made it clear that he will not appeal to the Constitutional Court with such request. ;Hayrikyan's open letter to Hovannisian and Bagratyan On 9 February 2013, the injured presidential candidate Paruyr Hayrikyan announced about his decision to postpone the election for 14 days, using his right given by the

Armenian Constitution The Constitution of Armenia was adopted by a nationwide Armenian 1995 Armenian constitutional referendum, referendum on July 5, 1995. This constitution established Armenia as a democracy, democratic, sovereignty, sovereign, social, and Constituti ...

. He called two other major opposition candidates

Raffi Hovannisian Raffi K. Richardi Hovannisian ( hy, Րաֆֆի Կ. Ռիչարդի Հովհաննիսյան; hyw, Րաֆֆի Կ. Ռիչարդի Յովհաննէսեան; born 20 November 1959) is an Armenian politician, the first Foreign Minister of Armenia and t ...

and

Hrant Bagratyan Hrant Ararati Bagratyan ( hy, Հրանտ Արարատի Բագրատյան; born 18 October 1958) is an Armenian politician. He was the Prime Minister of Armenia from 2 February 1993 until 4 November 1996, and a former member of the Pan-Armenia ...

to unite around a single opposition candidate. Hayrikyan stated that, "if I postpone the elections for 14 days, we will still have the chance to propose a common candidate, to develop the final points of the pre-election projections and to present ourselves in the public ten more days like a unity. And in that case, our common percentage will reach not only 70%, but even more—80%." ;Appeal to the Constitutional court Despite his previous statements, presidential candidate Paruyr Hayrikyan, who was shot on 31 January 2013, appealed to the court on 10 February 2013. His aide stated "We've applied the Constitutional Court with a request to postpone the election for two weeks due to Paruyr Hayrikyan's health problems and the fact that he can't campaign." While filing the request, Hayrikyan stated that in case

Raffi Hovannisian Raffi K. Richardi Hovannisian ( hy, Րաֆֆի Կ. Ռիչարդի Հովհաննիսյան; hyw, Րաֆֆի Կ. Ռիչարդի Յովհաննէսեան; born 20 November 1959) is an Armenian politician, the first Foreign Minister of Armenia and t ...

and

Hrant Bagratyan Hrant Ararati Bagratyan ( hy, Հրանտ Արարատի Բագրատյան; born 18 October 1958) is an Armenian politician. He was the Prime Minister of Armenia from 2 February 1993 until 4 November 1996, and a former member of the Pan-Armenia ...

come together and decide to unite, he will take his request back. He in particular said "Should it happen

he unification He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' in ...

my right to equal competition would be breached, but it would be compensated by the creation of a united team. Moreover, the state would avoid additional expenses and the timetable of numerous observers would not be disrupted, otherwise I am obliged to hold a complete campaign during those two weeks along with the other candidates’ participation." The court will make a decision in four days. The Constitutional Court must rule within four days on whether to delay the vote - a decision which largely depended on doctors' evaluation of whether the candidate was well enough to campaign. On 11 February 2013, however, Hayrikyan took his application back form the Constitutional Court. ; Attacks on journalists and reporters Several journalists were physically attacked while reporting on the electoral campaign. Nobody was prosecuted by the police, due to "lack of evidence".Parliamentary Assembly of the

Council of Europe The Council of Europe (CoE; french: Conseil de l'Europe, ) is an international organisation founded in the wake of World War II to uphold European Convention on Human Rights, human rights, democracy and the Law in Europe, rule of law in Europe. ...

The Protection of media freedom in Europe
.Background report prepared by Mr William Horsley, special representative for media freedom of the

Association of European Journalists The Association of European Journalists (founded 1961, San Remo) is an organisation promoting the interests of journalists involved in European affairs. It is an NGO in operational relations with UNESCO and enjoys consultative status in the Counc ...

Opinion polls

Criticism

Many have questioned the reliability of opinion polls in Armenia, including the three main opposition candidates

Raffi Hovannisian Raffi K. Richardi Hovannisian ( hy, Րաֆֆի Կ. Ռիչարդի Հովհաննիսյան; hyw, Րաֆֆի Կ. Ռիչարդի Յովհաննէսեան; born 20 November 1959) is an Armenian politician, the first Foreign Minister of Armenia and t ...

,

Hrant Bagratyan Hrant Ararati Bagratyan ( hy, Հրանտ Արարատի Բագրատյան; born 18 October 1958) is an Armenian politician. He was the Prime Minister of Armenia from 2 February 1993 until 4 November 1996, and a former member of the Pan-Armenia ...

and

Paruyr Hayrikyan Paruyr Arshaviri Hayrikyan (born July 5, 1949) is an Armenian politician and former Soviet dissident. He was an early member and leader of the National United Party (NUP), which sought Armenia's independence from the Soviet Union. He spent a tot ...

. For instance, Bagratyan called the Gallup International Association "fake Gallup" (սուտի Գելափ) in the interview to the Armenian service of

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) is a United States government funded organization that broadcasts and reports news, information, and analysis to countries in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Caucasus, and the Middle East where it says tha ...

, making a reference to the organization's dispute with

Gallup, Inc. Gallup, Inc. is an American analytics and advisory company based in Washington, D.C. Founded by George Gallup in 1935, the company became known for its public opinion polls conducted worldwide. Starting in the 1980s, Gallup transitioned its bu ...

over the name. The comedy show ''ArmComedy'', named their 79th episode "Albert Adibunts", referring to the head of Sociometer center, Aharon Adibekyan, who is often criticized by opposition politicians.

Open-access polls

Several open-access polls (such as online polls) were conducted in this election. A special website was created for this purpose
Elect.am
According to the results there, of more than 4,700 voters, President

Sargsyan Sargsyan ( hy, Սարգսյան), also Sarkisian, Sarkissian (in Western Armenian Սարգիսեան) or Sarkisyan, these latter two being transliterations of the Russian spelling ''Саркисян'', is an Armenian surname. See Սարգսյան ...

had only 15% of the total vote, while his main opponent

Raffi Hovannisian Raffi K. Richardi Hovannisian ( hy, Րաֆֆի Կ. Ռիչարդի Հովհաննիսյան; hyw, Րաֆֆի Կ. Ռիչարդի Յովհաննէսեան; born 20 November 1959) is an Armenian politician, the first Foreign Minister of Armenia and t ...

had about 40%,

Hrant Bagratyan Hrant Ararati Bagratyan ( hy, Հրանտ Արարատի Բագրատյան; born 18 October 1958) is an Armenian politician. He was the Prime Minister of Armenia from 2 February 1993 until 4 November 1996, and a former member of the Pan-Armenia ...

11% and

Paruyr Hayrikyan Paruyr Arshaviri Hayrikyan (born July 5, 1949) is an Armenian politician and former Soviet dissident. He was an early member and leader of the National United Party (NUP), which sought Armenia's independence from the Soviet Union. He spent a tot ...

4%. The epic poetry expert Vardan Sedrakyan got 26% of the vote, mainly by people who don't prefer any of the candidates. Another poll was conducted in th
website
of ''

Aravot __NOTOC__ ''Aravot'' ( hy, «Առավոտ», "Morning") is a leading liberal and politically independent daily newspaper based in Yerevan, Armenia. It was founded in 1994. Its editor-in-chief is Aram Abrahamyan. History and political alignment ...

'' daily. In the poll there, Sargsyan had 12% of the vote, while Hovannisian had 32%, Bagratyan 17%, Hayrikyan 4%.

Exit polls

The Baltic Surveys/The Gallup Organization held an exit poll, the results were: 58% Sargsyan, 32% Hovannisian.

Results

The main support of Hovannisian was from urban areas, particularly in the second and third largest cities of Armenia,

Gyumri Gyumri ( hy, Գյումրի, ) is an urban municipal community and the second-largest city in Armenia, serving as the administrative center of Shirak Province in the northwestern part of the country. By the end of the 19th century, when the city w ...

and Vanadzor, where Hovannisian won overwhelming support of the voters. He also won in the cities of Ashtarak, Ijevan, Armavir,

Ejmiatsin Vagharshapat ( hy, Վաղարշապատ ) is the 4th-largest city in Armenia and the most populous municipal community of Armavir Province, located about west of the capital Yerevan, and north of the closed Turkish-Armenian border. It is comm ...

,

Nor Hachn Nor Hachn ( hy, Նոր Հաճն), is a town and urban municipal community in the Kotayk Province of Armenia, founded in 1953. The town is located on the right bank of Hrazdan River, to the west of the Arzni canyon, on the immediate proximity of th ...

, Abovyan,

Spitak Spitak ( hy, Սպիտակ), is a town and urban municipal community in the northern Lori Province of Armenia. It is north of the capital, Yerevan, and west of the provincial center, Vanadzor. Spitak was entirely destroyed during the devastatin ...

,

Akhuryan Akhuryan ( hy, , translit=Axuryan), is a major village and rural community (municipality) in the Shirak Province of Armenia. The Statistical Committee of Armenia reported its population was 7,113 as per the 2011 official census down from 9,696 at ...

,

Artik Artik (Armenian: ), is a town and urban municipal community in the Shirak Province of Armenia. As of the 2011 census, the town had a population of 19,534. As per the 2016 official estimate, the population of Artik is around 18,800. Artik is famou ...

,

Kapan Kapan ( hy, Կապան) is a town in southeast Armenia, serving as the administrative center of the urban community of Kapan as well as the provincial capital of Syunik Province. It is located in the valley of the Voghji River and is on the nort ...

,

Yeghegnadzor Yeghegnadzor ( hy, Եղեգնաձոր) is a town and urban municipal community in southern Armenia, serving as the provincial capital of Vayots Dzor Province. It is located at a road distance of 123 km south of the capital Yerevan, on the s ...

,

Noyemberyan Noyemberyan ( hy, Նոյեմբերյան) is a town and urban municipal community in the northeast of Armenia, within the Tavush Province. It is located 2 km west of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border and 9 km south of the Armenia-Georgia bo ...

. Besides provincial towns, Hovannisian also won in three districts of Yerevan: Avan, Arabkir and

Ajapnyak Ajapnyak ( hy, Աջափնյակ վարչական շրջան, translit=Ajapnyak varčakan šrĵan), is one of the 12 districts of Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. Located to the northwest of the city centre, Ajapnyak has common borders with the d ...

. The results in rural areas was the opposite. There, Sargsyan won by far. Sargsyan received major support from Yerevan’s Erebuni and

Nubarashen Nubarashen ( hy, Նուբարաշեն վարչական շրջան, translit=Nubarashen Varchagan Shrchan), is one of the 12 districts of Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. It is situated at the southeastern part of the city. It is bordered by Shen ...

districts where an army unit is located.

Claims of electoral irregularities

Several opposition politicians claimed there were irregularities with the voting list.

Raffi Hovannisian Raffi K. Richardi Hovannisian ( hy, Րաֆֆի Կ. Ռիչարդի Հովհաննիսյան; hyw, Րաֆֆի Կ. Ռիչարդի Յովհաննէսեան; born 20 November 1959) is an Armenian politician, the first Foreign Minister of Armenia and t ...

talked about the high possibility of fraud, caused by the fact that "700,000 Armenian citizens are on voter lists in the country, but work outside this impoverished nation." Before the election campaign, the OSCE/ ODIHR mission recommended the authorities to "toughen legal punishment for vote buying and other irregularities and make voter lists more accurate." During and after the election, numerous cases of violations of the electoral code were reported. Raffi Hovannisian's campaign headquarters reported over 100 violations, including open ballot (non-secret) voting, voter pressuring, multiple voting, etc. One of the local observer organizations "iDitord" created an online map of about 400 documented irregularities before and during the election day and vote counting. These include vote buying, voter intimidation, inconsistencies in voter lists, violations of voting procedures and other fraudulent activities.

Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and sup ...

issued a public statement listing numerous irregularities during the elections and saying "Amnesty International calls on the relevant authorities to carry out prompt and impartial investigations into all allegations of rights violations during the elections and hold those responsible to account. The authorities must also guarantee the safety of participants at post-election protests and public meetings."

OSCE observation mission

On 2 March 2013, the

Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is the world's largest regional security-oriented intergovernmental organization with observer status at the United Nations. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, prom ...

election observers' report pointed out that there is "a correlation between very high turnout and the number of votes for the incumbent", which "raises concerns regarding the confidence over the integrity of the electoral process." The mission stated that in many precincts, mainly in rural areas, the turnout was “implausibly high”. The opposition claims that this is a result of excessive use of administrative resources in remote rural areas and a fact that "mayors kept villagers in total fear." On 5 March,

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

's former Minister for Justice, OSCE observer,

Dermot Ahern Dermot Christopher Ahern (born 20 April 1955) is an Irish former Fianna Fáil politician who served as Minister for Justice and Law Reform from 2008 to 2011, Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2004 to 2008, Minister for Communications, Marine a ...

wrote a letter where he talked about an evident discrepancy between the results he personally witnessed during the vote counting in Precinct 26/1 and the final official results. Among other inconsistencies he noted, "I could not understand then and still now how invalid votes can become valid." Which made him to conclude that "I feel that full re-examination of this count should take place."

Reaction

Hovannisian

Runner-up

Raffi Hovannisian Raffi K. Richardi Hovannisian ( hy, Րաֆֆի Կ. Ռիչարդի Հովհաննիսյան; hyw, Րաֆֆի Կ. Ռիչարդի Յովհաննէսեան; born 20 November 1959) is an Armenian politician, the first Foreign Minister of Armenia and t ...

didn't recognize the legitimacy of the election and on the night of 18 February 2013, he claimed victory in a press conference, stating "We all know that we have won", continuing "for the first time in 20 years the citizens have said yes to our constitution, to the rule of law, to democracy and our future." Mass rallies continued, while on 10 March Hovannisian started a hunger strike and called on Sargsyan to resign.

Armenian diaspora

Groups of the

Armenian diaspora The Armenian diaspora refers to the communities of Armenians outside Armenia and other locations where Armenians are considered an indigenous population. Since antiquity, Armenians have established communities in many regions throughout the world. ...

protested the results and alleged fraud in front of the Armenian consulates in New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Brussels and other major American and European cities. Serj Tankian, lead singer of Grammy award-winning Armenian-American rock band System of a Down, wrote an open letter to incumbent Sargsyan saying "it's time for change" after non-government organizations reported widespread voting fraud. "Citizens across Armenia are protesting the outcome of the elections and the injustice inherent in the political establishment." He also urged Sargsyan to protect the country from its enemies as "Those who steal elections from my people are domestic enemies that need to be punished."

International

;Supranational bodies * —

European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body o ...

President

José Manuel Barroso José Manuel Durão Barroso (; born 23 March 1956) is a Portuguese politician and university teacher, currently serving as non-executive chairman of Goldman Sachs International. He previously served as the 11th president of the European Commi ...

congratulated Sargsyan stating that he welcomes "the improved conduct of the elections and further progress in efforts to bring the democratic process into line with international standards." * — Secretary General

Thorbjørn Jagland Thorbjørn Jagland (born Thorbjørn Johansen; , 5 November 1950) is a Norwegian politician from the Labour Party. He served as the secretary general of the Council of Europe from 2009 to 2019. He served as the 32nd prime minister of Norway from ...

in his congratulatory message stated that he is confident that Sargsyan will "pursue the on-going process of reforms to which you and your country are already committed, with a view to securing its democratic stability and to ensuring full respect for the Rule of Law and for Human Rights in Armenia." * — Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen stated that NATO welcomes "the progress made by Armenia since the last elections and trust further steps will be undertaken to address the remaining deficiencies.” ;United States * — State Department spokesman Victoria Nuland stated the US "congratulates the people of Armenia on their February 18 presidential elections, which were judged by international observers to be generally well-administered and characterized by a respect for fundamental freedoms, including those of assembly and expression." :On 25 February 2013, Secretary of State

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party (Unite ...

congratulated Sargsyan on reelection and hoped that Armenia will continue "to increase transparency, promote multiple viewpoints in the mainstream media, and encourage citizens’ active participation in reforms and governance, as well as address the outstanding electoral issues raised by the OSCE." :On 2 March 2013, President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

sent a congratulatory message to Sargsyan. President Obama said he looks "forward to continuing our work together as we both begin our second terms." ;Other countries * — President

Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime min ...

congratulated Sargsyan on winning reelection. * — President

Mikheil Saakashvili Mikheil Saakashvili ( ka, მიხეილ სააკაშვილი ; uk, Міхеіл Саакашвілі ; born 21 December 1967) is a Georgian and Ukrainian politician and jurist.

congratulated Sargsyan. * —

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ( fa, محمود احمدی‌نژاد, Mahmūd Ahmadīnežād ), born Mahmoud Sabbaghian ( fa, محمود صباغیان, Mahmoud Sabbāghyān, 28 October 1956),

congratulated Sargsyan and wished "prosperity and glory" to the Armenian nation. * — President Abdullah Gül congratulated Sargsyan. * — French President

François Hollande François Gérard Georges Nicolas Hollande (; born 12 August 1954) is a French politician who served as President of France from 2012 to 2017. He previously was First Secretary of the Socialist Party (PS) from 1997 to 2008, Mayor of Tulle from ...

congratulated Sargsyan. His message read "I am confident that it will strengthen your resolve to shape a democratic, stable and prosperous Armenia, which is living in peace with all of its neighbors." * — Chancellor Angela Merkel congratulated Sargsyan and noted that she is confident that Sargsyan "will allow to improve Armenia’s relations with its neighboring countries on the east as well as on the west." * — British PM

David Cameron David William Donald Cameron (born 9 October 1966) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2005 to 2016. He previously served as Leader o ...

congratulated Sargsyan, wishing "the best as you begin your second term in office. I look forward to our two Governments working together for the mutual benefit of both our countries." * — Viktor Yanukovych congratulated Sargsyan and stated that his "years-long work and efforts aimed at the improvement of the living standards of the Armenian people have been once again broadly supported by the citizens of Armenia." Other heads of states who congratulated Sargsyan include President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, President of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė, President of Lebanon Michel Suleiman, President of Slovakia Ivan Gašparovič, President of Egypt

Mohamed Morsi Mohamed Mohamed Morsi Eissa al-AyyatThe spellings of his first and last names vary. survey of 14 news organizations plus Wikipedia in July 2012 President of Israel

Shimon Peres Shimon Peres (; he, שמעון פרס ; born Szymon Perski; 2 August 1923 – 28 September 2016) was an Israeli politician who served as the eighth prime minister of Israel from 1984 to 1986 and from 1995 to 1996 and as the ninth president of ...

, President of the Swiss Confederation Ueli Maurer, President of the Hellenic Republic Karolos Papoulias, President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Truong Tan Sang, President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, former President of Slovenia Danilo Türk.

Criticism

Hovannisian, who disputes the election's legitimacy, denounced the congratulatory messages of foreign countries, stating that they "can say whatever they want" and that he will allow nobody to "teach me lessons of American, Western or Russian democracy and law because the Armenian citizens are the masters of our country."

References

{{Armenian presidential elections

Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''Ox ...

Presidential election A presidential election is the election of any head of state whose official title is President. Elections by country Albania The president of Albania is elected by the Assembly of Albania who are elected by the Albanian public. Chile The pre ...

Presidential elections in Armenia 2010s in Armenian politics