2018 December 9
Anti-Corruption Daily
Anti-Corruption Dec/9/2018: Updated Election News; school director charged with 11mln embezzlement; politician's office manager arrested for bribery; more below...
by ar_david_hh
All the accused are innocent until proven guilty by the court of law. Currency in Armenian Drams unless specified otherwise.
Election News updated reverse chronologically...
UPDATES ARE OFF. Thank you everyone for tuning in.
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8:23 AM: 1,255,000 ballots counted. It's practically over. The percentages haven't changed.
QP (Nikol Pashinyan) makes massive gains. From 9 seats to around 67.
Bright Armenia (Edmon Marukyan, QP's ally) gains >10 seats.
Menq (Aram Sargsyan, QP ally) did not make it.
Menq + Bright Armenia + QP = Way Out (aka Yelq) Alliance, which de facto no longer exists because they split into different parties for these elections.
BHK (Gagik Tsarukyan) takes heavy hits and drops from 31 to >10 seats.
ARF (Dashnaks) lose all of 7 seats and are out of Parliament.
HHK (Sargsyan, Shawarmazanov, Ashotyan) appears to be also out. They are 3,500 votes short of reaching the 5% threshold. Their total vote count is 59,059. To get the additional 3,500 votes through a recount or error correction would mean a 6% correction in their favor. Margin of error is rarely that big after recounts. This means the current largest party is also out.
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6:23 AM: Almost done counting. Out of 1,229,684 counted ballots, QP 70.5%, BHK 8.3%, Bright Armenia 6.4%, HHK 4.7% (almost RIP), ARF 3.9% (RIP). Parties must pass 5% threshold to enter the Parliament. Because HHK is quite close to 5%, they will most likely challenge the results to achieve a recount or other "error corrections".
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3:46 AM: With 65% of ballots counted: QP 70.3%, BHK 8.4, Bright Armenia 6.4, HHK 4.5, ARF 4%.
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3:04 AM: 46% ballots counted: QP 70.2%, BHK 8.3, Bright Armenia 6.4, HHK 4.4, ARF 4.3.
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2:25 AM: With 34% ballots counted: QP 70%, BHK 8.4%, Bright 6.5%, ARF 4.4%, HHK 4.3%, Menq 2.1%, Sasna Tsrer 1.7%, OEK 1%
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2:20 AM: Here is the actual law that says which parties pass the threshold:
"որոնք ստացել են կողմ քվեարկված քվեաթերթիկների ընդհանուր թվի և անճշտությունների թվի գումարիկուսակցության դեպքում 5, իսկ կուսակցությունների դաշինքի դեպքում` 7 տոկոս կողմ քվեարկված քվեաթերթիկներ"
I do not know what the "error number" means in this case, but it appears that >4% vote isn't actually "rounded up" to 5% automatically.
https://www.arlis.am/DocumentView.aspx?DocID=109081
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1:51 AM: Factor TV anchor implies that if a political party gathers over 4% of the voters, it's "routed up" to 5% and the party passes the threshold. If this is the case, HHK will most likely be in the next Parliament. They have consistently been above or around 4%. https://youtu.be/DGupxHR9_rY?t=5013
With 25% of ballots counted: QP 70%, BHK 8.5%, Bright 6.5%, ARF 4.5%, HHK 4.2%. All the parties would pass, if I understood FactorTV correctly.
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1:31 AM: 18% of ballots counted with 553 precincts reporting in. ARF has now fallen slightly below the required 5% threshold. QP 70%, BHK 8.8%, Bright Armenia 6.2%, ARF 4.9%, HHK 3.9%.
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1:10 AM: with 14% of ballots counted, QP 70%, BHK 9%, Bright Armenia 6%, ARF 5.1%, HHK 3.9%. HHK's chances have gone down slightly since the last update. A party needs 5% to enter Parliament.
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12:54 AM: Out of 50 Vanadzor penitentiary inmates, 49 voted QP (98%) and 1 for BHK (2%).
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12:50 AM: The numbers are coming in faster now. This thread will be updated soon, when a more significant percentage of ballots are counted. The picture hasn't changed compared to 12:02 AM.
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12:02 AM: 3% of the votes have been officially counted. QP 67%, BHK 11%, Bright Armenia 6.3%, ARF 6.3%, HHK 4%. If the current results hold up - QP, BHK, ARF and Bright Armenia will pass. A party needs at least 5% of the votes to qualify for seats, which HHK does not have at the moment. There is no maximum limit on the number of parties that can qualify, so if HHK can chew away some of the future QP numbers and cross the 5% threshold, they could become the 5th party in the Parliament. These are very early numbers and expect things to change.
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11:30 PM: QP's Sasun Mikaelyan is running with the Rating system in his hometown Hrazdan. Hrazdan precinct 25/14 reports 93% votes went to him (QP). http://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/150249
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10:50 PM: Very early official numbers are coming from dozens of precincts, per Electoral Committee. QP 60%, BHK 15%, ARF 10%, Bright Armenia 5.5%, HHK 5% http://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/150243
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10:40 PM: Aghndjadzor small precinct 36/17 results: QP 90%, ARF and Bright Armenia 2.7%, HHK 0 votes. http://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/150238
In general, it looks like HHK will make it in the Parliament. The counting still continues and things can change, though.
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10:33 PM: Yerevan numbers. Precinct 9/46 in Center has also finished the count: QP 65%, HHK 11%, Bright Armenia 10%, BHK 4.8%. http://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/150237
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10:28 PM: Gyumri's 34/8 precinct results: QP 85.4%, BHK 4.3%, HHK 3.7%, ARF 2.7%. http://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/150235
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10:25 PM: A small precinct 24/16 in Lori has finished the count. QP 48%, BHK 28%, Bright Armenia 11%, HHK 4.5%
http://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/150233
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10:20PM: HHK showing strong numbers in Alaverdi 24/37 precinct. Shawarmazanov is running from the region. QP 67%, HHK 18%, BHK 7.4%, Bright Armenia 3.2%, http://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/150232
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10:10 PM: Vote counting is done all by hand. The manager and assistant take out a ballot from the bin, verify it's valid and doesn't have unauthorized markings or trolling, the manager reads out loud whom the ballot is for by holding it on front of the committee and cameras, then gives the ballot to the receiver party's representative who holds on to it until the final counting https://i.imgur.com/BW9ilkq.png
All live-streams are available here http://www.electionsonline.am/
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9:49 PM: 5/11 and 5/12 precincts finish counting. QP 76%, Bright Armenia 7.2%, HHK 6.8%, BHK 3.8% http://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/150230
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9:36 PM: Some small stations have finished counting. The 17/33 station reports that QP won 72% of the ballots. HHK received 1.7%. http://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/150228
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9:35 PM: CivilNet went to 23/32 station to investigate Ashotyan's concerns that HHK's ballots weren't being given to voters. HHK's own monitor rejected the news https://youtu.be/2wcBm9PfmE8?t=516
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9:26 PM: It appears QP is poising to have a similar big victory as in Yerevan elections, after all. In one location, 90% of ballots are for QP
http://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/150227
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9:13 PM: Parliamentary election turnout was 49% (could be updated later), higher than the 44% turnout during Yerevan mayor's elections. Some have argued that the real turnout is bigger because the true number of eligible voters is lower than 2.55mln because that number includes some residents who emigrated in past and became citizens of other nations.
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9:10 PM: Informed Citizens organization criticizes 168.am news outlet for incorrectly reporting that QP's David Sanasaryan (State Oversight Committee chief) had an illegal election placard on a wall https://fip.am/5367
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9:00 PM: By judging from 9/24 station live-stream, some people might have confused Qaghaqaciakan Paymanagir with Qaghagacu Voroshum and voted for the latter :D
Bright Armenia (QP allies) is getting a lot of votes. QP is not going to have the same 80% as in Yerevan elections if these results continue, but this is one station and the beginning of the count.
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8:52 PM: The police publishes the total number of reported violations during the voting. There were 144 reports that are being investigated, with most of them being non-serious incidents https://armenpress.am/arm/news/957555.html
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8:45 PM: Vote counting has begun. You can view some live-streams at the following links, if you prefer YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGupxHR9_rY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dF-WGqPv-o ----- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozIzZNXaDxs
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8:30 PM: The overall expenditure by parties in these elections: QP 268mln, HHK 127, BHK, 102, Bright Armenia 51, ARF 47, Menq 31, https://armenpress.am/arm/news/957549.html
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8:14 PM: Election officials re reading the rules for the ballot counters, and checking the validity of stamps. The counting process is about to begin.
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8:00 PM: Voting ends now. The results will be gradually counted and published later.
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7:50 PM: BHK's Naira Zohrabyan says she has received reports that Syunik's governor was asking staff to vote for QP.
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7:47 PM: There are over 18,000 domestic and international observers in all of voting locations
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/957538.html
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5:30 PM: Robert Kocharyan is organizing anti-Pashinyan rallies beginning December 11th https://factor.am/106725.html
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4:00 PM: In 27/28 voting station: An elderly woman was seen taking out a ballot from her purse before entering the voting station. The monitors asked her what it was for, she said it was "from a candidate's office". Monitors found out that the Rating ballot was for HHK candidate Mnacakan Poghosyan, and his name was marked to make it easy to vote. The woman says she marked it. The police is investigating the incident. http://armtimes.com/hy/article/150205
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The head of electoral commission at 23/32 location denies the rumors published by HHK Ashotyan that the voters weren't given ballot #1 (HHK) when asked. Says no one has made any complaints http://armtimes.com/hy/article/150204
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Rocker Serj Tankian and HHK Ashotyan in a battle of words. Tankian rips HHK and Ashotyan, accuses the party of plundering the country for 20 years then making fake complaints about not having enough time to prepare for elections http://armtimes.com/hy/article/150190
... Ashotyan says Tankian should be held legally accountable for accusing HHK of crimes http://armtimes.com/hy/article/150189
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Prosecutors in Shengavit are investigating an eye-witness report of someone allegedly distributing bribes outside of 8/47 voting station for a HHK candidate. http://armtimes.com/hy/article/150171
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1:00 PM: the police is investigating 31 reports of violations. 27 about citizens allegedly trying to vote multiple times, 4 about obstructing a citizen's vote. The overall number of incidents compared to 2017 is cut in half. https://armenpress.am/arm/news/957513.html
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Incident Reports: In one one the voting locations, voters are unable to vote for QP because the party's ballot #4 is missing from the stack. (A voter decides which party to vote for, takes the corresponding ballot, marks and drops it in a box.) The voting process was temporarily suspended until the ballots were supplied. A similar incident happened with Christian-Democratic party ballots in another location.
Other incidents: camera malfunction and a violation of secrecy by the voter in multiple locations. Complaints to Human Rights Ombudsman are mainly about the difficulty to access to the voting place. In one voting place, various party placards were posted on the outer walls http://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/150150 ---- https://armenpress.am/arm/news/957506.html ---- http://armtimes.com/hy/article/150160 ----- https://factor.am/106759.html
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Other News -----
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The police has uncovered a 11mln corruption case in Kotayk N11 school. The school director is charged with embezzlement and abuse of power https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yr_2EZgU4b4
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Hrazdan police has arrested a [unnamed] politician's office manager after a citizen reported the police that his family was offered bribe for voting for the politician running under the Rating system. No other details ATM https://factor.am/106363.html
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The US state of Kansas has adopted December 6th as the Kansas-Armenia friendship day, and December 7th as the Spitak Earthquake remembrance day. Kansas National Guard and the Armenian army have a long record of cooperation. The Guard commander and the US representative in Armenia paid tribute to the victims in Gyumri yesterday. https://factor.am/106366.html
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Christmas themed shops open in Northern Avenue https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sL1jeR-HApU
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NOW THAT'S A LOT OF DAMAGE
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/957429.html
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Mikael Mikaelyan wins another gold medal and a bronze in skiing international competition in Finland https://armenpress.am/arm/news/957426.html --- https://armenpress.am/arm/news/957524.html
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Spain will sue singer Shakira for avoiding EUR 14.5mln in taxes www.aysor.am/am/news/2018/12/08/Իսպանական/1501358
Link to original report: https://www.reddit.com/r/armenia/comments/a4ltw9/anticorruption_dec92018_updated_election_news/
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