Current PM "wins" Armenian poll

Near complete official results show that Armenian Prime Minister Serge Sarkisian has won fiercely-contested presidential polls. With 97 percent of ballots counted, Sarkisian led with 52 percent of the vote, with his nearest rival, ex-President Levon Ter-Petrosian, lagging on 21 percent. Current PM "wins" Armenian poll The results suggest that Sarkisian wins outright, avoiding a run-off. But Ter-Petrosian said Tuesday's vote had been rigged, calling for a protest rally in the capital Yerevan. Turnout was nearly 70 percent of 2.3m eligible voters, Armenia's election commission said. Seven other candidates were also in the race. The final results are expected shortly. "Violations" Sarkisian is a close ally of outgoing President Robert Kocharian, and the election was initially expected to be a smooth handover of power to Sarkisian. But Ter-Petrosian - Armenia's president between 1991 and 1998 - surprised experts with a lively and outspoken campaign, and now insists he is the real winner. "The first president of Armenia won in the first round. We would like to congratulate citizens with that victory," his spokesman Arman Musinyan said after the polls, according to Reuters news agency. "There were very serious violations during voting, including ballot-stuffing, kidnapping and the beating of our representatives at the polling stations," he said. The Armenian authorities have strongly denied manipulating the election process. Observers from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and a Russia-led group of former Soviet republics were monitoring the vote. The OSCE mission is expected to announce its assessment of the elections later on Wednesday. Although small, Armenia is regarded as strategically important - lying between the energy-rich Caspian Sea and the gas and oil markets of southern Europe. Correspondents say the main issues for Armenians are tackling unemployment and resolving long-running disputes with neighbouring Turkey and Azerbaijan, both of which have closed their borders with Armenia.

Current PM "wins" Armenian poll

The results suggest that Sarkisian wins outright, avoiding a run-off.

But Ter-Petrosian said Tuesday's vote had been rigged, calling for a protest rally in the capital Yerevan.

Turnout was nearly 70 percent of 2.3m eligible voters, Armenia's election commission said. Seven other candidates were also in the race.

The final results are expected shortly.

"Violations"

Sarkisian is a close ally of outgoing President Robert Kocharian, and the election was initially expected to be a smooth handover of power to Sarkisian.

But Ter-Petrosian - Armenia's president between 1991 and 1998 - surprised experts with a lively and outspoken campaign, and now insists he is the real winner.

"The first president of Armenia won in the first round. We would like to congratulate citizens with that victory," his spokesman Arman Musinyan said after the polls, according to Reuters news agency.

"There were very serious violations during voting, including ballot-stuffing, kidnapping and the beating of our representatives at the polling stations," he said.

The Armenian authorities have strongly denied manipulating the election process.

Observers from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and a Russia-led group of former Soviet republics were monitoring the vote.

The OSCE mission is expected to announce its assessment of the elections later on Wednesday.

Although small, Armenia is regarded as strategically important - lying between the energy-rich Caspian Sea and the gas and oil markets of southern Europe.

Correspondents say the main issues for Armenians are tackling unemployment and resolving long-running disputes with neighbouring Turkey and Azerbaijan, both of which have closed their borders with Armenia.