Armenian President Robert Kocharyan has called "absurd" the
idea of declaring the 30th May parliamentary elections invalid.
Attributing the errors in the electoral rolls to the Electoral
Code, Kocharyan said in a television interview that the
5-per-cent inaccuracies "could have been higher". Kocharyan
expressed concern about "criminal elements" being elected to
the new parliament but ruled out excluding them through illegal
means. He concluded by stating that the new parliament would
allow the country to develop more rapidly and consolidate the
legitimacy of the legal and legislative sphere. The following
are excerpts from a report by Armenian news agency Snark on 7th
June//

Yerevan, 5th June: Armenian President Robert Kocharyan
considers absurd the notion of declaring the 30th May
parliamentary elections invalid, he told the country's main
television channels in an interview today.

The president believes that from a legal point of view the
recent elections in Armenia were unsurpassed. He reported that
up to now only nine criminal cases had been brought in
connection with specific facts and inspections were being
carried out in connection with about 30 cases, mainly specific
instances. Only two candidates had applied to a court of first
instance over the results of the elections.

As far as errors in the electoral rolls are concerned, the
president agreed that this was the biggest shortcoming in the
elections, stating at the same time that it was impossible to
avoid such a problem under the present Electoral Code, and
therefore a similar situation would undoubtedly recur. The
current law prohibits additional lists, whereas during previous
years 150,000 or 200,000 people had voted according to
additional lists and everybody knew this problem would arise.
Kocharyan noted it was the political parties themselves that
had opposed the additional lists in the belief that they gave
the authorities an opportunity to falsify the elections. The
president noted that all the parties, and in particular the
smaller parties, thought that the fewer people that took part
in the elections, the easier they would be able to cross the
5-per-cent hurdle.

[passage omitted : citizens were not deprived of the right
to vote as they could appeal to the courts to be reinstated on
the electoral roll]

The president gave an assurance that the heads of
communities who had not approached this issue in a serious
manner would certainly be punished. However the president saw
no premeditation in their actions. If the latter were proven
those responsible would be punished, Kocharyan stressed again.
The punishment would consist of a vote of no-confidence in the
community heads and the institution of legal proceedings.

The president also noted the need to take into
consideration factors such as the lack of a population census
for the last 10 years in Armenia and the absence from the
republic of an estimated 600,000 to 700,000 people, according
to some data, or one million, according to other data. Tens of
thousands of people are registered in one place and live and
work in another place in Armenia today. The president thought
the 5-per-cent errors in the electoral rolls normal under such
conditions. They could have been higher, Kocharyan said.
Replying to questions, Kocharyan said that he was
concerned about criminal elements squeezing into the new
parliament in a legal way. But the president ruled out
illegally stopping certain persons from entering parliament, as
was the case earlier, when persons who had twice been elected
to the National Assembly were struck off the lists illegally.

With reference to the attitude of international
organizations towards the 30th May elections, the president
said that in his opinion the conclusion of the main group of
observers was positive and objective. Now specific political
forces and figures in Armenia were themselves trying to cast
aspersions on these elections, Kocharyan said.

Asked about the accusations levelled against him of
declining to take radical steps to maintain legitimacy in the
country, the president said that in his opinion the 30th May
elections was a serious step towards the maintenance of
legitimacy. The implementation of the court and legal system
was directed precisely at this aim. The preservation of
legitimacy specifies structural changes, a legislative sphere
and consistency. Structural changes are being implemented, the
shaping of the legislative sphere continues and consistency
exists in this. The president assured journalists about his
readiness to settle the aforementioned tasks with the new
forces entering parliament. Otherwise all this is senseless,
Kocharyan said.

The president was certain that Armenia now had more
serious opportunities for speedier development, without
expending energy on empty talk. It is true, however, that the
global economic crisis is continuing and it will be rather
problematic to take serious steps in this situation, Kocharyan
noted.

Source: Snark news agency, Yerevan, in Russian 0450 gmt 07 Jun 99
BBC Mon TCU 070699 at/cal/vz