Elections in Armenia

[Vahram]

Re: Elections in Armenia

On January 22, the New York Times’ Thomas Friedman, called to “break all the rules” in dealing with inconvenient leaders. His advice to the incoming Secretary of State includes “trying something radically new

We live in an age of social networks …. There’s no more just top-down”. Do not negotiate with governments

Friedman’s recipe.

Enjoy!

[Eddo211]

Re: Elections in Armenia

It is easy to overlook the fact that the demands are irreversible BUT the opening of the border is reversible.

.

One thing that has been proven to be not irreversible is Turkey seeing Armenians still as their subjects and will always deal with us as subjects.....until better times we need patriotic leaders who know the enemy and can out maneuver them.

[ZORAVAR]

Re: Elections in Armenia

Congratulations to Serj.
Raffi is just a bad looser.

[arakeretzig]

Re: Elections in Armenia

One thing that has been proven to be not irreversible is Turkey seeing Armenians still as their subjects and will always deal with us as subjects.....until better times we need patriotic leaders who know the enemy and can out maneuver them.

well, from their point of view, why wouldn't they? since we've never been a strong power for centuries, we've been a "slave" people for centuries, so it's just natural they do that, not just the turks, the russians, the americans etc., maybe just persians don't look at Armenia that way. We're the "little" people.

[Mher]

Re: Elections in Armenia

If this is going to be a repeat of 2008, it's going to turn off many people. I disagree with Raffi announcing himself President-elect, we can't know that and every poll before the elections projected Serge to win yet he is claiming overwhelming victory. He should have instead called for annulments or recounts or to hold new elections.

The rally itself is disappointing. Raffi's mandate as opposition leader is stronger than LTP (he actually got more votes than that scum did in 2008) yet there's only max 10,000 people at his rally with observers saying 5,000.

Yes I don't think its right to say Raffi clearly got a majority of the vote. If anything you could have replaced Raffi with almost anyone else, and results would have been identical; meaning this wasn't a vote for Rafi, as much as a vote against the ruling party, and vote for the rest of the field.

However, having said, I think its laughable to think anywhere near 58% of the country supports the ruling party. I think it is safe to say that Serj didn't get the majority. honestly, the graphic tomservo posted is dead on, because its difficult to find anyone in Armenia who supports the ruling party. Maybe 10-20% of the politically connected, but as far as regular citizens, I never found one person who said yes I support Serj.

As far as pre-election polling: for one, many of them were done way before the election, and even then there was a trend of serj's vote total decreasing and Raffi's increasing. Also, they were done by very obscure organizations. Furthermore, many disenchanted people could have simply chose not to respond, which would favor Serj supporters only responding. Moreover, I'm sure they wouldn't be difficult to manipulate considering the organizations that conducted them ( As Rafi put it Sood Gallup ). Finally, its not surprising that Serj would get a majority of them, even if they were fair, because they were done early on, when besides Serj, most of the field was unrecognizable.

Anyway, I don't think Raffi has any sort of a mandate, because he was simply the only alternative left and its hard to definitively claim he got majority of the vote. Having said that, I definitely don't think the election was representative of what the people of that country think.

[Mher]

Re: Elections in Armenia

Pre-election online voting

http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/647/electam.png

http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/669/aravotamcopy.png

[arakeretzig]

Re: Elections in Armenia

If this is going to be a repeat of 2008, it's going to turn off many people. I disagree with Raffi announcing himself President-elect, we can't know that and every poll before the elections projected Serge to win yet he is claiming overwhelming victory. He should have instead called for annulments or recounts or to hold new elections.

The rally itself is disappointing. Raffi's mandate as opposition leader is stronger than LTP (he actually got more votes than that scum did in 2008) yet there's only max 10,000 people at his rally with observers saying 5,000.

raffi only got more votes cause there was no other alternatives to serj. And serj can't just put raffi's 32% on his 58%, it would be too obvious. Hence, what happened.

[Mher]

Re: Elections in Armenia

http://civilnet.am/2013/02/18/live-%D5%A8%D5%B6%D5%BF%D6%80%D5%B8%D6%82%D5%A9%D5%B5%D5%B8%D6%82%D5%B6%D5%B6%D5%A5%D6%80-2013/

Live Right Now
Rafi meeting Serj
Protestors outside

[Mher]

Re: Presidential elections 2008 in Armenia

Raffi meeting Serj

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=450748224995059&set=a.206762412726976.49372.195018463901371&type=1&theater

[Mher]

Re: Elections in Armenia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIe5amQmoQI

via Panorama.am