Shahumian, Ararat Region, Republic of Armenia © Onnik Krikorian / Hetq Online

Shahumian, Ararat Region, Republic of Armenia © Onnik Krikorian / Hetq Online

With less than an hour to go until the polling stations close in Armeniat at 8 pm local time, I’ve come back to post some photographs of the first visit of the day to the village this morning with Harutiun Hambartsumian, head of the local election observation NGO, It’s Your Choice.

Tim Russo posted about Hambartsumian, or as he affectionality calls him, Harry, in September. Passed on your message Tim, and yes, Harry laughed. Then again, when doesn’t he?

During my time in Armenia, I met and worked closely with Harout Hambartsumian and his domestic NGO It’s Your Choice. Affectionately known as Harry, due mainly to his incredibly accurate impressions of Louis Armstrong (which were most entertaining when vodka was involved), he’s one of the most impressive people I’ve ever worked with.

Anyway, Shahumian is located just outside Artashat and is considered particularly volatile given that an opposition member was gunned down outside a polling station during the 2003 presidential elections. Ironically, the police said there was no connection between his murder and the elections. Yeah, right…

Well, there were quite a few problems with this polling station, and also with the new electoral code adopted this year. Most significantly, however, was the chairperson of the Precinct Electoral Commission’s refusal to accept a written complaint by an observer from an opposition party alledging ballot box stuffing. After that, the observer said he was concerned for his safety and left the station.

Harutiun Hambartsumian (center) observes as the PEC Chairperson refuses to accept a written complaint of ballot box stuffing from an opposition election observer and the Justice Bloc’s Artashat co-ordinator Grisha Virabian (right), Shahumian, Ararat Region, Republic of Armenia © Onnik Krikorian / Hetq Online

Harutiun Hambartsumian (center) takes note during a conversation between Grisha Virabian (left) and an opposition election observer, Shahumian, Ararat Region, Republic of Armenia © Onnik Krikorian / Hetq Online

Later in the day we learned that Grisha Virabian of the Justice bloc had withdrawn all opposition observers because he feared violence against them. Virabian knows a few things about this, of course. In the early hours of 24 April 2004 he was beaten so severely by police that he lost a testicle.

More later, but until then, it would appear from the pollings stations was low (10 -25 percent). Also, Raffi Hovannisian appears to have set up an “alternative” Central Election Commission and is holding a press conference at 8.30 pm. Meanwhile, RFE/RL has some updates on the referendum here.

Cross posted at New Eurasia.