RFE/RL also reports that violence and allegations of fraud marred elections in Hrazdan at the weekend. According to the preliminary results released by the local election commission, the incumbent Mayor, Aram Danielian, won by less than 350 votes. Danielian is affiliated to the ruling Republican Party of the Prime Minister, Andranik Markarian.

Violence reportedly broke out outside three polling stations as the voting drew to a close late on Sunday. Shaboyan supporters said they were attacked and indiscriminately beaten up by special police forces sent from Yerevan. They said the police used truncheons and electric-shock equipment to intimidate them.

[…]

Another proxy of the mayor’s challenger who identified herself as Astghik claimed that the police “nearly killed” a man and beat up a boy outside another polling station.

Most local administrations are affiliated to the Republican Party and many consider that the local elections scheduled for October will be marred by similar violence and accusations of fraud. Most recently, Armen Rustamian of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutiun, itself a minor member of the ruling coalition, warned of possible bloodshed.

“If we fail to deepen electoral reforms to the extent required by international standards, we could witness very sad results such as clashes in local constituencies,” Armen Rustamian told RFE/RL.

The full news item can be read online here.