RFE/RL reports that presidential candidate Vahan Hovannisian has questioned the reliability of opinion polls held in the run up to the 19 February presidential election. Opinion polls have long been criticized by candidates in previous elections, and especially by those who are identified as trailing their competitors. What makes this criticism more newsworthy, however, is that RFE/RL appears to be casting doubt on the integrity of Gallup and the U.S. Embassy in Armenia.

Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian is not as popular as is claimed by pro-government pollsters, one of his election challengers representing the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) said on Monday.

Deputy parliament speaker Vahan Hovannisian also echoed former President Levon Ter-Petrosian’s claim that the Armenian authorities artificially increased the number of presidential candidates to facilitate Sarkisian’s victory in the ballot scheduled for February 19.

Opinion polls conducted by the Armenian Sociological Association (ASA) and other local researchers have consistently given Sarkisian a huge lead over other election contenders. Armenian state television cited on Sunday the results of the latest, U.S.-funded poll designed by the U.S. Gallup organization and conducted by the ASA.

It said Sarkisian would garner 29 percent of the vote if the election was held this week. Opposition leader Artur Baghdasarian would come in a distant second but far ahead of other candidates with 12 percent, according to the poll.

The full post is available on the Armenian Election Monitor 2008.