Yerevan elections: Independent Observer NGO to monitor vote recount

ArmInfo. The Independent Observer NGO will monitor the vote recount at the elections to the  Yerevan Council of Elders in all the election commissions. 

"The Electoral Code stipulates that on the second day after the  elections, local election commissions must begin to recount the  voting results by drawing lots at individual polling stations  selected at random. The Central Election Commission, on its own  initiative, plans a recount at one of the precincts, since it noticed  a problem and drew attention to a dissenting opinion , recorded in  the protocol of one of the members of the election commission. Even  if the applicant subsequently refuses or is absent, a recalculation  is carried out if the application is accepted. "At this moment, the  mandatory drawing of lots begins in the district election  commissions," the observation mission said.

Earlier today, the CEC announced the start of the process of  recounting votes in individual polling stations that will be selected  by drawing lots. You will need to select at least three sites. At the  same meetings, territorial commissions will consider applications for  a recount of votes in specific areas received from political forces.  The recount will begin on September 19 at 14:00 and end on September  22 at 14:00. One candidate and a proxy from each political force  participating in the elections, as well as observers and  representatives of the press will be able to attend. Both the  commission meetings and the vote recount will be broadcast on the  Central Election Commission website.

Meanwhile, as reported by the Armenian media, a meeting of the board  of the Civil Contract party was held the day before, at which the  election results were discussed. In particular, according to the  report of the newspaper "Zhoghovurd" ("People"), the meeting was very  stormy. Representatives of the ruling political force exchanged  mutual accusations, trying to find someone to blame for the failure.  According to media reports, the leader of the party, Prime Minister  of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, said that the  perpetrators must be punished, since the reason for the low rating of  "GD" in Yerevan is the inaction of team members. After heated  debates, the members of the State Duma came to the conclusion that  the real reason for this situation is the wrong personnel policy,  since some government officials are out of place and inactive. As the  newspaper notes, a series of resignations are expected in the near  future and many ministers will say goodbye to their posts. We are  talking, in particular, about the Minister of Territorial  Administration and Infrastructures Gnel Sanosyan, the Minister of  Environment Hakob Simidyan, the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs  Narek Mkrtchyan and the Minister of Justice Grigor Minasyan.

Also, a nine-member election observation delegation from the Congress  of Local And Regional Authorities concluded on September 17 its  mission to observe the elections to the Council of Elders of Yerevan  which were held on Sunday in the 12 districts of the Armenian  capital, and issued a statement available here:   https://www.coe.int/en/web/congress/-/yerevan-elections-a-well-administered-ballot-but-a-historically-low- turnout