By Aimee Keushguerian

Members of a joint local-Diaspora monitoring team are continuing with their movement of upholding clean elections, reaching across to Armenian communities on the border with Turkey.
A group of diasporan observers came away optimistic from a day of elections on May 26 at precincts 20/1 and 35/1, but still witnessed a day full of fraud, cheating, and bribery.

Paula Der Matoian has lived in Yerevan for eleven years. After having volunteered for the past election in Yerevan, she was excited to volunteer again as an observer at the Akhurik village, at precinct 35/1.

She was only three kilometers from where her family came from.  Thus, she felt like her presence in Armenia, working to uphold the rule of law and involved in endorsing a clean election process, was somewhat symbolic, knowing that her forefathers were from the other side of the
border in Turkey.

Paula noticed a lot of similarities between the election of Akhurik village and the Yerevan elections. She noticed that 20% of the people constantly entering the room had new passports and were elderly
members. Paula witnessed these elderly members leaving the precinct, going back home to change their clothing, and returning with a new passport. “The political parties really want to do something for Armenia but all the money they are putting into being dishonest and cheating is setting them back. I see great potential here in Armenia for developing new industries and it’s unfortunate that politicians are not investing in key areas that can build the economy. If that were happening, people would vote for them naturally, politicians would not have to pay off voters.”

Nairi Hakhverdi, the second observer at Akhurik felt very bitter about what was happening at precinct 35/1. She noticed the same things happening in terms of fraud and cheating that occurred during the Yerevan election. Unauthorized people were hanging out by the gates.

Younger members not registered to vote were directing people, guiding them inside, asking them for their voter numbers to see their passports. At 2pm, there was already a discrepancy with the ballot
numbers. The number of ballots given out did not match the ballots put in the box. However, she still feels confident that being present at the polling stations makes a difference. "I feel that as a diasporan, it's easier to be idealistic and optimistic, and those feelings are important in a country where too many people have lost hope."

Emilia Gordon, a monitor at Precinct 20/1, said she learned a lot about the morale of Armenians from volunteering at elections. She witnessed the corruption, the fraud, and how people think they are clever enough to beat the system. Emilia saw this primarily at Precinct 13/27 in Yerevan at Erebuni and noted that the elections in Vardanashen seem to be honest compared to the Yerevan election, which is a good sign.

Her father was from Igdir, which is 21 kilometers from Vardanashen. He was raised an orphan because his family died in the Genocide. Thus, Emilia said she felt a little resentment knowing that where her ancestors lived was supposed to be part of Armenia and it’s not. But she still feels like she is giving back to her country and being a part of solving corruption, a problem she sees as the most prominent in Armenia.

Emilia’s sentiments towards Vardanashen’s elections being clean were echoed by Raffi Wartanian, the second monitor at Vardanashen. He said that there were a few violations like registered voters leaving the building and re-entering before voting and signing out, but that nothing major happened.

She commented that the villagers of Vardanashen are very welcoming, and brought coffee and fruit. However, as a monitor, it is necessary to not let your guard down. “The most important thing that I have learned is that the fraud is far more sophisticated than the capacity of the monitors. If   monitoring is going to reach that same level, there needs to be a lot more people involved, as well as a major push towards legal and moral reform.”

Raffi was born in Baltimore, MD, and attended Armenian school in Washington DC. Growing up, he always thought Armenia was boring, that it was not a real place, and it was too much of an abstract concept. 

He moved to Armenia August 212 and has been researching the role of the arts and volunteerism in the development of the Armenian civil society with a fellowship. After living here, and helping volunteer at two previous elections, he was looking forward to invest more of himself and contribute more to this country. Raffi thinks that it is very important that Armenians around the world don’t feel disconnected or disillusioned, or that they can’t make a change.... that if they try and help the money they contribute will not end up being diverted to the pockets of someone corrupt as many potential donors fear. By volunteering in the elections, he can now say that being physically involved in Armenia can contribute far more to the country than just sending money from overseas.

“By physically being here, we can contribute more to the integrity of the rule of law and to the integrity of the people. That is more valuable than sending money from abroad. But, whatever Armenian diasporans can contribute here is so valuable because the nation is crumbling. The infrastructure is crumbling. The borders are closed.

Corruption is pervasive. Coming and being involved with the reality in this country during a very historical moment and with the elections in this burgeoning civil society is everything. I really encourage diasporans to come and get more and more involved with the electoral process. We are going to have the parliamentary elections, presidential elections, and other elections again. So there are more and more opportunities to be involved, to empower people to vote, and to stand up for clean elections so that people can have faith that their country is not collapsing due to the absence of an essential pillar in Armenia's longevity - that of free and fair elections."

Photos by Scout Tufankjian