08 March 2008, 11:11
Constitutional Court of Armenia recognizes outcomes of presidential election as valid
Tonight at 7:45 p.m. local time, the Constitutional Court of Armenia announced its verdict on the suit lodged by two presidential candidates - Tigran Karapetyan and Levon Ter-Petrosyan - on recognition of the outcomes of the presidential election held on February 19 null and void. The Court has ruled to uphold the decision of the Central Electoral Commission of Armenia of February 24 that proclaimed Serzh Sarkisyan to be the winner of the election.
The Central Electoral Commission was recognized to be the respondent party in the case, and the General Prosecutor's Office, the Police of the Republic and the National Commission on Television and Radio were attracted as co-respondents. Besides, as the IA "News-Armenia" reports, Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisyan was attracted to take part in the court session as a third party on the basis of his personal application.
In its decision, the Constitutional Court of Armenia has ascertained that the applicant party has failed to use the opportunities of considering the presented electoral violations at the Administrative Court of the Republic.
"Besides, the facts of violations of the electoral process at a number of polling stations presented by the applicant cannot put under doubt the legitimacy of voting at all the 1923 polling stations," the ruling of the Constitutional Court runs.
