Sunday, June 20 2021 12:59

ArmInfo. The candidate for prime minister from the "Hayastan" ("Armenia" - ed. note) pre-election bloc, the second president of Armenia, Robert Kocharian, voted, first  of all, for a decent peace and economic recovery. He stated this  after he voted in the early parliamentary elections at the 7/3  polling station.

When asked what possible cooperation with former Prime Minister of  Armenia Karen Karapetyan can be, Kocharian said: "He's of course with  us." At the same time, he did not specify what post would be offered  to Karapetyan in case of victory of the Hayastan bloc in the  parliamentary elections.  Kocharian commented on the distribution of  anti-campaign leaflets against the Hayastan bloc. According to him,  this is a gross violation of the law, and if there were thousands of  video cameras installed around the city, it was possible to establish  "who is behind this." "In this regard, there are great suspicions  that this is being done by the authorities or directed by them," he  said, adding that the bloc will issue a corresponding statement if  law enforcement officers do not identify the "authors" of the offense  within a couple of hours.  As for the detention of the head of the  Izmirlian medical center, a candidate for deputy from the Armenia  bloc Armen Charchyan, according to the former president, the  detention is unreasonable and "in the genre of absurdity." "He  expressed his opinion and, from this point of view, I do not think  that this is coercion," he said.

Kocharian commented on Nikol Pashinyan's live broadcast on the day of  silence, during which he called on citizens to vote. In this regard,  the CEC issued a warning to the Civil Contract party and the  candidate for prime minister Nikol Pashinyan for breaking the silence  on the eve of voting. "This suggests that the authorities do not  respect the law even on election day," Robert Kocharian emphasized.

Earlier, the Election Control Committee received information that the  ruling Civil Contract party was distributing anti-propaganda leaflets  with a photograph of Robert Kocharian throughout the city of Yerevan,  attracting persons who are employees of the community organization of  Yerevan, who are obliged to clean the streets of the city at night.  They were instructed to visit the offices of the Civil Contract and  receive packages with leaflets.

Recall that the head of the Izmirlian medical center Armen Charchyan  is accused of forcing the employees of this center to participate in  early parliamentary elections, in connection with which, within the  framework of a criminal case investigated by the RA SIS, on suspicion  of committing a crime under paragraph 2 of part 4 of Article 154.2 Of  the RA Criminal Code, he was detained.  Extraordinary elections to  the National Assembly of the 8th convocation have started in Armenia.  From 08.00am local time, 2008 polling stations were opened throughout  the republic in 38 territorial districts. 25 political forces are  taking part in the elections: 4 blocs and 21 parties.