Armenian Police Chief Valery Osipian has vowed to wage an uncompromising struggle against vote buying to rule out this vicious practice during upcoming early parliamentary elections.
At a news briefing in parliament on Tuesday Osipian warned that those who will resort to bribing voters will be strictly punished.
“I am obligated to guarantee that there is no vote buying. Those who will practice it will be strictly punished regardless of their party membership and irrespective of who they are,” said Osipian, adding that the Armenian police are fully prepared for the general elections.
“It does not matter for us if the elections are held under a new or old electoral code. What is important for us is that everyone is equal before the law,” Armenia’s police chief underscored.
Snap parliamentary elections in Armenia will be held on December 9.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian, who came to power in May after leading peaceful demonstrations, forced the dissolution of the National Assembly earlier this month.
The parliament still dominated by loyalists of former president Serzh Sarkisian twice failed to elect a new prime minister after Pashinian’s tactical resignation in October.
Pashinian, who continues to act as prime minister in the interim, has pledged that his administration will organize free, fair and democratic elections free from rigging and vote buying – practices that the previous administrations were accused of.