ArmInfo. The authorities of Armenia hope to win the parliamentary elections by electoral bribery and carousel voting, Hrant Bagratyan, ex-prime minister of Armenia, a candidate from the Free Democrats bloc said during a press-conference in Yerevan on March 9.
According to him, 2 political forces at the constituency No.1 have already started drafting voters' lists and suggesting bribes. "They promise 20 thousand AMD for each vote, however, those who distribute the bribes receive 10 thousand AMD and the voters - 5 thsd AMD. In other words, they deceive people even here," Bagratyan stated, adding that the hard socio-economic situation makes the society to take bribes. At the same time, the politician said that the major part of political forces have already put up with the strength of finances, which is being used by the ruling party.
Bagratyan strongly criticized the program of the Republican Party of Armenia, which, in his opinion, resembles a collection of toasts rather than a program of economic recovery. He also considers the new Electoral Code to be shameful. In his words, the new Electoral Code surprised the observers from the CIS and other international structures.
"The observers are surprised at the cunning nature of the Electoral Code, which gives an opportunity to the authorities to retain grip on power and to do that by means of covert mechanisms," he stated, adding that the authors of the Electoral Code and Head of the Government Staff David Harutyunyan managed to fool even the oppositionists. "If we can receive the majority of votes, then we will first of all change the Electoral Code, which is a slap in the Constitution's face," he said.