YEREVAN, APRIL 2, ARMENPRESS. Viktor Vodolatski - Deputy Chair of the Russian State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Links with Compatriots, head of the Russian State Duma observer delegation, shared his opinion over Armenia’s parliamentary election in a meeting with reporters in Yerevan on April 2, reports Armenpress.

“Our group of observers is comprised of 9 people. We have mainly toured in polling stations of Yerevan. 2 of observers will soon arrive from Gyumri and Stepanavan”, he said, adding that he managed to visit 10 polling stations, and yesterday he visited Garni and Geghard to see how the election preparation works are going.

“In the morning I passed the entire voting procedure with one of the grandmothers in order to understand where it will be possible to violate something and came to a conclusion that it is impossible to falsify anything”, Viktor Vodolatski  said.

Vodolatski  doesn’t think that any voter can complain over the new form of voting. “I think various states will learn the elements of this new format so that to avoid complaints later. The new technique only has one problem: sometimes there are crowds since scanner recognizes with difficulty the fingerprints of elderly people. If other countries decide to apply these mechanisms, they must consider this”, he said.

Vodolatski said many parties didn’t clearly present the further development of  Armenia-Russia relations in their programs, perhaps this is the reason that some part of the voters is confused while giving his/her vote to this party or the alliance.

He also informed that after 17:00 they will visit several polling stations and will try to communicate with the youth since they freely, openly say whom they give their votes and why.

In conclusion, Viktor Vodolatski congratulated all on the 25th anniversary of the establishment of Armenian-Russian diplomatic relations which marks on April 3. “We are determined positively for developing the relations between the two countries in social, cultural, economic and other spheres”, he said.

9 political forces are running in the parliamentary election: Republican Party of Armenia, Armenian Renaissance Party, Free Democrats Party, Armenian Revolutionary Federation Party, Communist Party of Armenia, Yelk bloc, Tsarukyan bloc, Ohanyan-Raffi-Oskanian bloc and Congress-APP bloc.

The total number of citizens eligible to vote is 2,564,195, the number of voters without registration is 915. The number of voters who are currently undergoing medical treatment in hospitals in 2001.

The number of the members of district electoral commissions is 28,277. 197 police officers have been dispatched to polling stations. 120 news agencies (89 local and 31 international) and 55 observer organizations will cover and follow the election.