By BAGILA BUKHARBAYEVA
Associated Press Writer
February 20, 2003, 12:33 PM EST
YEREVAN, Armenia — Armenian President Robert Kocharian failed to win the necessary 50 percent of votes for re-election Thursday, forcing a runoff, after balloting that the opposition complained was rigged.
The announcement of the results was delayed for several hours, fueling opposition accusations of fraud and bringing threats not to recognize the vote. European observers said the balloting was “flawed.”
Observers from the Organization for Security and Europe and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe cited instances of ballot-box stuffing and intimidation of candidates’ representatives.
“Serious irregularities took place during the count in a number of polling stations visited by international observers,” the two groups said in an official statement Thursday.
The stormy voting suggested that the elections, a key test of democracy that aimed to increase stability, would instead exacerbate tensions in this poor, former Soviet republic in the Caucasus region.
Kocharian won 48.3 percent of the vote Wednesday, the Central Electoral Commission said Thursday evening. His nearest rival, People’s Party leader Stepan Demirchian, won 27.4 percent and National Unity Party leader Artashes Gegamian won 16.9 percent.
The run-off will be held on March 5, said election officials, who put the turnout Wednesday at 1.5 million people, or 61.2 percent of the electorate.
The commission missed the legal deadline of 1 p.m. to announce official preliminary results, saying that harsh winter weather had interfered with the vote tally.
About 5,000-6,000 Demirchian supporters gathered near the election commission, chanting their candidate’s name as speakers claimed Kocharian’s team was stealing the vote.
Hundreds of riot police, wearing helmets and carrying shields, formed a tight chain around the election commission to prevent protesters from entering.
Several opposition representatives managed to get inside and meet with election commission officials.
“They’re holding the results because Kocharian wants to make this election official, to rig votes,” said Vagarshak Arusinian, a former defense minister.
After the run-off was announced, Arshak Sadoyan, a member of parliament and a Demirchian supporter, said he believed authorities had intended to call the election in favor of Kocharian but backed off after opposition protests Thursday.
“The people put forward their demands, and the authorities were forced to give in,” he said, adding he was confident Demirchian would win the run-off.
Kocharian had been widely expected to secure a first-round victory. Armenians had hoped the election would lead to higher living standards and a settlement of the conflict with Azerbaijan over the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh.
But the vote seemed likely to fuel political quarrels.
Vardan Mkrchian, of Demirchian’s campaign team, alleged that the military was given ballots already marked in Kocharian’s favor and that not all ballot boxes were sealed.
The president’s opponents blame him for nearly 30 alleged, unsolved political killings in the past few years and for the widening gap between rich and poor in this nation of 3.3 million.
They also blame him for failing to secure a final deal with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh.
Backed by Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh forces fought a 1988-94 war with Azerbaijan. Despite a cease-fire, the dispute remains unresolved, and a resulting economic blockade by Azerbaijan and its regional ally Turkey have left Armenia in an economic vise.
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