Political technologist explains low voter turnout at Yerevan Council elections
Political technologist Karen Kocharyan says voters showed lack of interest and passivity to the Yerevan City Council elections held o Sunday which was quite predictable.
“I was the one who predicted the ruling party would receive 70% of the votes, “Elq” Bloc – 25% and Yerkir Tsirani - 5%. There has been only a slight difference in the percentages,” Kocharyan told Panorama.am, when asked to comment on the preliminary results of the municipal elections.
Asked what could be the reason for the unprecedented low voter turnout at the city council elections, Kocharyan reminded that Armenia’s capital city residents showed low activeness in the past parliamentary elections in early April as well (58.46 % turnout).
“Traditionally, Yerevan residents are either too active or too passive during election cycles. At present, the citizens are living a period of passivity,” Kocharyan said.
As reported earlier, the ruling Republican Party headed by acting mayor Taron Margaryan won 240,036 votes (71.25%) at Yerevan City Council elections, according to the preliminary results of the Central Electoral Commission. “Elq” Bloc headed by MP Nikol Pashinyan scored 70,731 votes (21%) and “Yerkir Tsirani” (Land of Apricot) Party received 26,109 votes (7,75 %).
345, 226 citizens or 40,99 % of the total number of eligible voters cast ballots at the elections.