21 February 2008, 17:08
US Department of State is concerned with violations at presidential election in Armenia
At the rally of the united opposition, currently held in the Freedom Square in Yerevan, a message of the France Press Agency was announced, according to which Edgar Vasquez, spokesman of the US Department of State, had stated that the US are concerned with numerous violations admitted during vote tabulation after the election in Armenia on February 19.
"We are still studying various reports on the presidential election in Armenia that arrive to us," said the spokesman.
Having referred to the report of the OSCE/ODIHR observation mission stating that the presidential election on February 19 in Armenia was held according to international standards, Mr Vasquez had added that "the US are concerned with certain elements in the observers' report, in particular, that at 15 percent of polling stations the vote tabulation process was characterized as 'bad' and 'very bad'."
Edgar Vasquez called on the Armenian authorities and the opposition to stick to peaceful character of protest actions. "We understand that various protest actions of the opposition are underway. We welcome the opposition and the Armenian authorities in their aspiration to hold peaceful protest actions. We call on all the parties to refrain from using force," the spokesman of the Department of State has stated.
Author: Lilit Ovanisyan, CK correspondent
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