The president of Armenia, Armen Sarksyan, has today (7 June) spoken on the occasion of the official start of campaigning ahead of the 20 June early parliamentary elections. Addressing all 26 political forces (22 parties and 4 blocs) participating in the elections, the president appealed for them “to be as restrained as possible, to respect the electorate and the opponents to the maximum, to show prudence and tolerance, and to carry out the electoral process in an atmosphere of civilised political culture”.
Acknowledging the “exceptionally complex crisis conditions” that currently face Armenia, Sarksyan also highlighted the important role to be played by the state institutions, raising the particularly heavy obligation of the law enforcement agencies to keep the rule of law, ensure public order and guarantee the normal running of elections.
In his statement, the president appealed to all voters to play an active role in the elections and to express their feelings towards political forces or politicians. He asked them to realise “that we are making a choice for the future of our country, the prospects of development, and the welfare of our generations”.