The presidential elections in Armenia were scheduled for March 16, 1998. The second round was held on March 30, 1998 [1] . According to the results of the second round, Robert Kocharian became the President of Armenia, who collected 58.9% of the votes. The turnout was 63.5% in the first round and 68.1% in the second [2] .
← 1996  2003 → | |||
| Presidential Election in Armenia | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| March 16 and 30, 1998 | |||
 |  | ||
| Candidate | Robert Kocharyan | Karen Demirchyan | |
| Votes | 908 613 (58.9%) | 618,764 (40.1%) | |
| Election result | Robert Kocharyan elected president | ||
Content
Overview
Elections were called after February 3, 1998 , when Armenian President Levon Ter-Petrosyan resigned from his post. The reason for his departure was a split in the country's ruling elite: Prime Minister Robert Kocharian , Minister of Defense Vazgen Sargsyan, Minister of Internal Affairs and National Security Serzh Sargsyan did not support the plan proposed by L. Ter-Petrosyan to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict [3] . From the moment of Ter-Petrosyan’s resignation, Robert Kocharyan served as president.
The first round took place on March 16, 1998 [4] . The greatest number of votes in him was gained by Robert Kocharyan, who combined the positions of the acting president of the country and the prime minister, and Karen Demirchyan , 1st secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Armenian SSR . Kocharyan received 38.5%, Demirchyan - 30.5% [5] . The latter has not been in politics for 10 years; since 1991, he has served as Director General and Chairman of the Board of Directors of “ArmElektromashina” CJSC - one of the largest plants in Armenia.
Karen Demirchyan was very popular as a person with whom he hoped to return to the past certainty after the mafia capitalism associated with the rule of Levon Ter-Petrosyan [6] [7] [8] [9] . Demirchyan also enjoyed the support of the West for a moderate approach to resolving the Karabakh conflict [6] . Western diplomats cited polls according to which 53% of Armenians support Demirchyan, and only 36% support Kocharyan [10] .
The second round of elections took place on March 30th. Kocharyan and Demirchyan came together in it. Kocharyan won with 58.9% of the vote. Demirchyan received only 40.1%. [5] The OSCE found serious irregularities and indicated in the final report that the elections did not meet the standards of the organization [11] [12] . Although Demiryan did not officially contest the results of the voting, he did not accept them and did not congratulate Robert Kocharian on his victory. [13] [14]
Results
| Candidate | The consignment | First tour | Second round | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Votes | % | ||
| Robert Kocharyan | independent | 545 938 | 38.5 | 908 613 | 58.9 |
| Karen Demirchyan | Socialist Party of Armenia [3] | 431 967 | 30.5 | 618,764 | 40.1 |
| Vazgen Manukyan | National Democratic Union | 172 449 | 12.2 | ||
| Sergey Badalyan | Communist Party of Armenia [3] | 155,023 | 10.9 | ||
| Paruyr Hayrikyan | National self-determination [3] | 76 212 | 5.4 | ||
| David Shahnazaryan | Armenian nationwide movement | 6,798 | 0.5 | ||
| Artashes Geghamyan | National Unity [3] | 6,314 | 0.4 | ||
| Vigen Khachatryan | Liberal Democratic Party [3] | 3,999 | 0.3 | ||
| Hrant Khachatryan | Union "Constitutional Law" [3] | 2,943 | 0.2 | ||
| Aram Sargsyan | Democratic Party of Armenia | 2,710 | 0.2 | ||
| Yuri Mkrtchyan | independent | 2,511 | 0.2 | ||
| Ashot Bleyan | New way | 1,559 | 0.1 | ||
| Against all | 9 509 | 0.7 | 14,890 | 1.0 | |
| Invalid bulletins | 38 177 | - | 25,435 | - | |
| Total | 1,456,109 | 100 | 1 567 702 | 100 | |
| Main source: English article on the 1998 presidential elections in Armenia | |||||
Notes
- ↑ Nohlen, D, Grotz, F & Hartmann, C (2001) Elections in Asia: A data handbook, Volume I , p329 ISBN 0-19-924958-X
- ↑ Nohlen, D, Grotz, F & Hartmann, C (2001) Elections in Asia: A data handbook, Volume I , p337 ISBN 0-19-924958-X
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Election of the President of Armenia, 1991-2008 Caucasian Knot (January 17, 2013). The date of appeal is November 19, 2017.
- ↑ Armenians to choose new president today (March 16, 1998). The appeal date is April 15, 2013.
- ↑ 1 2 Summer 1998 (Unsolved) // Elections Today. - International Foundation for Electoral Systems. - T. 7 , № 4 . - ISSN 1073-6719 .
- ↑ 1 2 The Armenian Parliamentary Elections, 30th May 1999 . - British Helsinki Human Rights Group. - P. 1–2.
- ↑ Reeve, Philip . Slick old fox set for comeback in Armenia poll (March 16, 1998). The appeal date is April 15, 2013.
- ↑ Armenians vote for president Monday (March 15, 1998). The appeal date is March 31, 2013.
- ↑ Strong turnout as Armenians choose president (March 16, 1998). The appeal date is March 31, 2013.
- ↑ Bennett, Vanora . Armenians Vote for New President (March 31, 1998). The appeal date is April 17, 2013.
- ↑ Armenian elections go to run-off (March 19, 1998). The appeal date is April 8, 2013.
- Republic of Armenia Presidential Election March 16 and 30, 1998 Final Report . Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (April 9, 1998). The appeal date is April 8, 2013.
- On Report on Armenia’s parliamentary election May 30, 1999 . - Washington, DC: Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe. - P. 5.
- ↑ Key Armenian leaders assassinated (October 28, 1999). The date of appeal was May 25, 2013. "Although it was tacitly accepted, it would be the Sarkisian's Republicans Republic."
Links
- (Armenian) Նաագահական ընտրություններ 1998 Internews Armenia
- (rus.) 1998-ի նախագահական ընտրություննրր Internews Armenia