Armenian presidential election, 2008

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Armenian presidential election, 2008
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←  2003 19 February 2008 2013  →

  S Sarkisyan.jpg Levon ter-petrosian.jpg Artur Baghdasaryan.jpg
Nominee Serzh Sargsyan Levon Ter-Petrosyan Artur Baghdasaryan
Party Republican Party Independent Armenian Renaissance
Popular vote862,369351,222272,427
Percentage52.82%21.50%17.7%
2008 Armenian presidential election map.png
President before election

Robert Kocharyan

Elected President

Serzh Sargsyan
Republican Party

Presidential elections were held in Armenia on 19 February 2008. Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan was elected in the first round according to official results, but this was disputed by former President Levon Ter-Petrosyan, who was officially placed second.

Armenia Republic in South Caucasus in West Asia

Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located in Western Asia on the Armenian Highlands, it is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia to the north, the de facto independent Republic of Artsakh and Azerbaijan to the east, and Iran and Azerbaijan's exclave of Nakhchivan to the south.

Prime Minister of Armenia Head of Government of Armenia

The Prime Minister of Armenia is the head of government and most senior minister within the Armenian government, and is required by the constitution to "determine the main directions of policy of the Government, manage the activities of the Government and coordinate the work of the members of the Government." Also, according to the constitution, the Prime Minister heads the Security Council, which prescribes the main directions of the country's defense policy; thus, the Prime Minister is effectively the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Armenia.. Under the new 2015 constitution, the Prime Minister is the most powerful and influential person in Armenian politics. The Prime Minister is appointed by the President of Armenia upon the vote of the National Assembly. The Prime Minister can be removed by a vote of no confidence in Parliament. In the constitutional referendum held in 2015, citizens voted in favor of transferring Armenia into a parliamentary republic.

Serzh Sargsyan 3rd President of Armenia

Serzh Sargsyan is an Armenian politician who served twice as the Prime Minister of Armenia and was the third President of Armenia, from 2008 to 2018. He won the February 2008 presidential election with the backing of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia, a party in which he serves as chairman, and took office in April 2008. On 18 February 2013, he was re-elected as president and served the entire term.

Contents

The candidacy of Sargsyan was backed by incumbent President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan, [1] who was ineligible to stand for a third consecutive term. [2] Other candidates included Levon Ter-Petrosyan and Vahan Hovhannisyan, the Vice President of the National Assembly, representing the Armenian Revolutionary Federation. [3] [4] The largest opposition party, Rule of Law, nominated former parliamentary speaker Artur Baghdasarian as its candidate. [5]

President of Armenia

The President of Armenia is the head of state and the guarantor of independence and territorial integrity of Armenia elected to a single seven year term by the National Assembly of Armenia. Under Armenia's parliamentary system, the President is simply a figurehead and holds ceremonial duties, with most of the political power vested in the Parliament and Prime Minister.

Robert Kocharyan second President of Armenia

Robert Kocharyan is an Armenian politician who served as the second President of Armenia between 1998 and 2008. He was previously President of Nagorno-Karabakh from 1994 to 1997 and Prime Minister of Armenia from 1997 to 1998. He was arrested on December 7, 2018.

Levon Ter-Petrosyan first President of Armenia from 1991 to 1998

Levon Hakobi Ter-Petrosyan, also known by his initials LTP, is an Armenian politician. He was the first President of Armenia from 1991 to 1998. A senior researcher at the Matenadaran Institute of Ancient Manuscripts, he led the Karabakh movement for the unification of the Armenian-populated Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia in 1988. After Armenia's independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Ter-Petrosyan was elected president in October 1991 with overwhelming public support. He led the country through the Nagorno-Karabakh War with neighboring Azerbaijan, during which Armenia supported the Republic of Artsakh in fighting against Azerbaijan.

Candidates

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By the registration deadline of 6 December 2007, nine candidates had registered:

Artashes Geghamyan Armenian politician

Artashes Geghamyan is an Armenian politician.

The National Unity is a conservative political party in Armenia. It is currently led by Artashes Geghamyan.

Vahan Hovhannisyan Vice-President of the National Assembly of Armenia

Vahan Hovhannisyan was an Armenian politician of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF). He was Vice-President of the National Assembly of Armenia from 2007 to 2008 and was a candidate in the February 2008 presidential election. A 2008 leaked confidential document by the US State Department described him as "clearly the most likeable Dashnak by public persona."

Raffi Hovannisian from Heritage and Aram Karapetyan from New Times also tried to register, but were refused the certificates of residence in Armenia over the last ten years by the Armenian Police Department of Passports. [6] Prosperous Armenia's Gagik Tsarukian, a business oligarch, whose party has the second largest faction in parliament endorsed Serge Sargsian.

Raffi Hovannisian Armenian politician

Raffi K. Richard Hovannisian is an American-born Armenian politician, the first Foreign Minister of Armenia and the founding leader of the national liberal Heritage party. He is the founder of the Armenian Center for National and International Studies, the country's first independent research center.

Heritage (Armenia) political party

Heritage is an Armenian national liberal party. It was founded in 2002 by Raffi Hovannisian, independent Armenia's first Foreign Minister.

Aram Karapetyan Armenian politician

Aram Karapetyan is an Armenian politician. In 1985 Karapetyan graduated from Yerevan Polytechnic Institute. He also worked in the Russian State Duma, the Duma Council for National Security, and the upper chamber of Russia's Federal Assembly. Leader of the New Times party, in 2003 Karapetyan unsuccessfully ran for President of Armenia, earning only 2.8% of the votes. Karapetyan was arrested on 24 February 2008 for demonstrating against the election of Armenian then Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan and charged with false denunciation, charges that were eventually dropped in April 2009.

Ter-Petrosyan officially announced his candidacy in a speech in Yerevan on 26 October 2007. He accused Kocharyan of running "an institutionalized mafia-style regime" that was responsible for massive corruption involving the theft of "at least three to four billion dollars" over the previous five years. He was also critical of the government's claims of strong economic growth and argued that Kocharyan and Sargsyan had come to accept a solution to the problem of Nagorno-Karabakh that was effectively the same solution that he had proposed ten years earlier, although they had strongly opposed that proposal at the time. [3]

Yerevan City in Armenia

Yerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia as well as one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country. It has been the capital since 1918, the fourteenth in the history of Armenia and the seventh located in or around the Ararat plain. The city also serves as the seat of the Araratian Pontifical Diocese; the largest diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church and one of the oldest dioceses in the world.

Nagorno-Karabakh Disputed territory in Transcaucasia

Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Artsakh, is a landlocked region in the South Caucasus, within the mountainous range of Karabakh, lying between Lower Karabakh and Zangezur, and covering the southeastern range of the Lesser Caucasus mountains. The region is mostly mountainous and forested.

Campaign and election

The electoral campaign began on 21 January 2008. At the opening of campaigning, Ter-Petrosyan fiercely denounced Sargsyan and Kocharyan, accusing them of "thieving and anti-popular" rule, and said that he was certain of victory, while acknowledging "disappointments" and "harsh criticisms" regarding his earlier presidency during the 1990s. For his part, Baghdasarian released a 32-page manifesto for his campaign, vowing to "eliminate corruption and embezzlement" and to provide "equality before law" and "a drastic rise in the living standards of the people". Hovhannisyan was a candidate despite the participation of his party, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, in the governing coalition; his campaign promises included the break-up of monopolies, the promotion of economic development, and anti-corruption measures. Geghamyan, the National Unity Party's candidate, devoted the opening of his campaign to denouncing Ter-Petrosyan and accusing others in the opposition of smearing him. Some members of the opposition suggested that Geghamyan was working for the government in an effort to undermine Ter-Petrosyan. [7]

Ter-Petrosyan criticized Baghdasarian for running his own campaign instead of rallying behind Ter-Petrosyan's candidacy, calling him a "traitor" and saying that he was effectively supporting Sargsyan. [8] After Baghdasarian rebuffed Ter-Petrosyan's ultimatum, a pro-Ter-Petrosyan newspaper, Haykakan Zhamanak, insinuated that Baghdasarian was a "sexual deviant."[ citation needed ]

Aside from his own Republican Party (HHK), Sargysan was backed by Prosperous Armenia (BHK). [9]

It was considered very likely that Sargsyan will finish in the first place in the first round, with either former president Ter-Petrosyan or Baghdasarian, who ran on a pro-EU and pro-NATO platform, in second place. First results and reports from OSCE election observers were expected on 20 February 2008, and the final result was to be announced within seven days. [10]

According to exit polls, Sargsyan won the election in the first round with 57%, with Ter-Petrosyan coming in second with 17%. The opposition parties have stated that they consider the election result fraudulent. [11] Ter-Petrosyan, claiming victory, accused the government of rigging the election and called for a rally in Yerevan on 20 February that would protest the official results and celebrate his claimed victory. [12] OSCE and Western monitors said that the election was largely free and fair. [13] However, the report from the OSCE-led observers also described vote counting as "bad or very bad" in 15% of observed polling stations, and Edgar Vazquez of the United States Department of State said that the U.S. was "concerned" about this. [9] [14]

On 20 February, results from all 1,923 polling stations showed Sargsyan with 52.86% of the vote (863,544 votes). [15] Ter-Petrosyan was placed second with 21.5% [15] [ dead link ] (351,306 votes [15] [ dead link ]) and Baghdassaryan was placed third with 16.67% (272,256 votes [15] [ dead link ] Hovannisyan placed fourth with 6.2% and Manukyan placed fifth with 1.5%; the other candidates received less than 1% of the vote. [16] Voter turnout was placed at about 70%. [17]

Sargysan thanked the people for giving him "overwhelming support" and said that he would be "the president of all Armenians". A spokesman for Sargysan's Republican Party claimed that the election was the most democratic ever held in Armenia; while he acknowledged flaws in the election, he said that they did not affect the outcome. [9]

The opposition requested dozens of recounts. In one of them, on 21 February, in a central Yerevan precinct showed that Sargsyan had won 395 votes there, rather than the 709 with which he had been credited in the initial count; votes had been taken from other candidates and added to Sargsyan's score. A criminal case was opened by state prosecutors regarding this possible fraud, and the chairman of the precinct commission was arrested; according to the HHK, recounts in over 30 other precincts showed results similar to the initial counts. [9] Sargysan told police to investigate alleged electoral violations on 22 February. [18]

Final results, released by the Central Electoral Commission on 24 February, confirmed Sargysan's victory, crediting him with 52.82% of the vote (862,369 votes); Ter-Petrosyan received 21.5% (351,222 votes) and Baghdasarian was said to have won 17.7% (272,427 votes). [19] [20]

A post-election poll conducted by the British Populus Opinion Polling Center between 21 and 24 February confirmed Central Electoral Commission's results giving Sargsyan 53%, Ter-Petrosyan 20%, and Baghdasaryan 13% of the vote [21]

Sargysan was inaugurated as the third President of Armenia on 9 April 2008. [22]

Results

CandidatePartyVotes%
Serzh Sargsyan Republican Party of Armenia 862,36952.82
Levon Ter-Petrosyan Independent351,22221.50
Artur Baghdasaryan Rule of Law 272,42717.70
Vahan Hovhannisyan Armenian Revolutionary Federation 100,9666.20
Vazgen Manukyan National Democratic Union 21,0751.30
Tigran Karapetyan People's Party 9,7910.60
Artashes Geghamyan National Unity 7,5240.46
Arman MelikyanIndependent4,3990.27
Aram HarutyunyanNational Conciliation Party2,8920.17
Invalid/blank votes35,798–
Total1,668,464100
Registered voters/turnout2,312,94572.14
Source: Central Election Commission, IFES

International reaction

Both the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the European Union (EU) have commended the conduct of the election and stated that they regard the result as broadly democratic. [23] The EU Commission said: "The European Union congratulates the Armenian people for the conduct of a competitive presidential election in Armenia. The European Union notes the statement of preliminary findings and conclusions of the International Election Observation Mission which concluded that the presidential election in Armenia, an important test for democracy in this country, was conducted mostly in line with OSCE and Council of Europe commitments and standards. The European Union welcomes the genuine efforts that were made to address the shortcomings in previous elections. However, the EU also notes that the report raised concerns about the electoral process and that further improvements are necessary to address the remaining challenges. It notes in particular that, according to ODIHR, improvements and additional political will are necessary to tackle concerns such as the lack of public confidence in the electoral process, the absence of clear separation between state and party functions and ensuring equal treatment of candidates. The European Union looks forward to the final results of the presidential election and calls on the competent authorities to ensure that complaints are adequately investigated and shortcomings addressed." [24]

A spokesman for the United States Department of State said: "We congratulate the people of Armenia on the active and competitive presidential election of 19 February and note the preliminary assessment of the OSCE’s Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and Parliamentary Assembly that the election was "mostly in line with OSCE and Council of Europe commitments and standards for democratic elections. At the same time, we also note that international monitors identified significant problems with electoral procedures. Armenian election authorities have responded with the positive step of recounts in a number of jurisdictions. We urge the Government of Armenia to ensure these recounts are conducted comprehensively and transparently, investigate all allegations of irregularities, and implement steps to improve future elections. We also urge all political forces to continue observing the rule of law and to work peacefully and responsibly for a democratic Armenia." [25]

Protests

Mass protests on 1 March, after violent beating of peaceful protesters in the morning Armenian Presidential Elections 2008 Protest Day 11 - French Embassy Demonstration 430pm general view.jpg
Mass protests on 1 March, after violent beating of peaceful protesters in the morning

Following the election result, opposition protests began in Yerevan's Freedom Square, in front of the Opera House. On 1 March the demonstrators were violently dispersed by police and military forces killing at least 10 people and President Robert Kocharyan declared a 20-day state of emergency. This was followed by mass arrests and purges of prominent members of the opposition, as well as a de facto ban on any further anti-government protests.

Related Research Articles

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Vazgen Sargsyan military commander, politician

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The following lists events that happened in 2008 in Armenia.

References

  1. ↑ "Robert Kocharyan to Support Serzh Sargsyan". www.panorama.am. 2007-09-14. Retrieved 2017-01-29.
  2. ↑ "Chapter 3: The President of the Republic". Archived from the original on 2012-07-11. Retrieved 2017-01-29.
  3. 1 2 "Levon Ter-Petrossian". www.levonpresident.am.
  4. ↑ LLC, Helix Consulting. "NA VICE CHAIRMAN A CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT". www.panorama.am.
  5. ↑ "Armenian Ex-Speaker Joins Presidential Race". «Ազատ Եվրոպա/Ազատություն» ռադիոկայան.
  6. ↑ "A1Plus – Լուրեր Հայաստանից". www.a1plus.am.
  7. ↑ "Armenia: Presidential Campaign Gets Under Way", Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 25 January 2008.
  8. ↑ "Armenia: FAQ About February's Presidential Election", Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, February 18, 2008.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "Sarkisian Thanks Armenians For ‘Overwhelming Support’", Armenialiberty.org, 21 February 2008.
  10. ↑ "Armenia: Polls Close Amid Allegations Of Voting Irregularities", Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 19 February 2008.
  11. ↑ "Opposition allegations cloud Armenia election".
  12. ↑ "Armenian opposition candidate accuses prime minister of election violations", Associated Press (International Herald Tribune), February 19, 2008.
  13. ↑ Danielyan, Emil (2008-02-20). "Armenian Vote 'Largely Democratic'". ArmeniaLiberty, Radio Free Europe. Archived from the original on 2008-03-06. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
  14. ↑ "U.S. expresses concern over Armenia's presidential vote count", Xinhua (People's Daily Online), 21 February 2008.
  15. 1 2 3 4 "Kocharyan promises to ensure law and order in Armenia", ITAR-TASS, 23 February 2008. Archived 8 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine .
  16. ↑ "Armenia: Sarkisian Claims Disputed Presidential Victory", Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 20 February 2008.
  17. ↑ "Sargsyan wins Armenian presidential race". Xinhua. 20 February 2008. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
  18. ↑ "Armenian premier asks police to investigate alleged election violations", ITAR-TASS, 22 February 2008. Archived 8 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine .
  19. ↑ "Sarkisyan wins Armenian presidential polls - final results", RIA Novosti, 24 February 2008.
  20. ↑ "RA CEC DECLARED SERGE SARGSIAN ARMENIA’S PRESIDENT", defacto.am, 25 February 2008.
  21. ↑ Armenia Presidential Election Post-Election Poll Archived 2008-11-18 at the Wayback Machine .
  22. ↑ President Serzh Sargsyan's inauguration ceremony Archived 2011-05-31 at the Wayback Machine ., 9 April 2008.
  23. ↑ "European Commission shares OSCE assessment of Armenia's presidential election".
  24. ↑ "EU: election - important test for democracy - was conducted mostly in line with international standards".
  25. ↑ "U.S. congratulates Armenian people on conduction of active and competitive presidential election".
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