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Armenia: OSCE Office Issues Report Expressing Concerns About Election


Warsaw, 14 October 1996 (RFE/RL) -- The Warsaw office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) tells RFE/RL that its final report on last month's presidential election in Armenia is consistent with its previous reports, which reflected serious concerns about the democratic process.

The OSCE's Warsaw Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights assessed the reports of on-site monitors of the elections.

The office issued a report immediately after the election, suggesting monitored irregularities of voting procedures probably did not affect the final outcome: that incumbent President Levon Ter-Petrosyan won victory in the first round over opposition leader Vazgen Manukyan, a former prime minister.

But, a second report -- which reflected actual OSCE vote tabulations -- suggested significant irregularities, possibly affecting tens of thousands of ballots.

Armenia's government rejected the second report, saying the OSCE had used flawed procedures and had miscalculated votes.

The report of the OSCE Warsaw office has been submitted to Switzerland, which currently holds the OSCE rotating presidency. The official OSCE final report on the election is expected next month.
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