ARF Issues Post-Election Statement

YEREVAN—The Armenian Revolutionary Federation Supreme Council of Armenia issued a statement on Tuesday expressing its position following Sunday’s parliamentary election. Below is the English translation of the statement:

The parliamentary elections, that were a new political and moral test for our state, have come to an end.

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation presented the public with a clear platform, the implementation of which would have secured a better quality life for us all, inside our country. We ran an active public campaign, our position reached all voters and we felt we were appreciated. We thank all those who voted for ARF.

Unfortunately, these elections didn’t reflect the actual will of the people on one hand and the correlation between the political powers, on the other. It was clear that the general vote rigging was premeditated and took place outside the districts’ centers, on May 6 and the days before that. The ruling coalition members registered high numbers; first and foremost due to the complete use of the state and administrative levers and of the unprecedented large financial means that were turned into vote rigging tools. The proof is unquestionable that corruption had its detrimental impact on the election results.

This situation proves that the Armenian society’s overwhelming majority, which faces social difficulties, is legally unprotected and alienated from the state and did not conduct a free and conscious election process. The people’s de-politicization, poverty and adversities, coupled with election bribery and pressures guaranteed the return of the authorities.

This also means that the political forces, including the ARF, have not yet succeeded in implanting in the society the free citizen’s notion and the conscientiousness of exercising the right to elect in a dignified manner.

The ARF, as an independent political power with clear principles, perceives this electoral setback as the beginning of a new phase of activity to continue the struggle until complete regime change has been achieved.

We are confident that sooner or later Liberty, Justice and Dashnaktsutyun will prevail in our state.

Armenian Revolutionary Federation’s Supreme Council