Mentally Ill Forced to Vote in Armenia?
This is somewhat old news, but I just discovered for myself that patients in an Armenian mental institution were forced to vote for the ruling Republican party during the parliamentarian elections earlier in 2007. Source: 168 Hours
According to Lragir.am the patients of the psychic institution of salt mine were made to vote for the 15th number of the proportional ballot, that is the Republican Party.
The citizen who provided this information is one of the relatives of the patients. The patient called him and said that the ballot-box was brought in, however the patients were not allowed to vote on their own and cast ballots in the boxes.
The nurse threatened the patients to give a shot if they vote on their own. Only after the alert call the patient, who made noise was allowed to vote alone.
But 15 others were made to vote for the 15th number in the ballot. After the alert several other patients were able to vote on their own.
Henry on 26 Nov 2007 at 12:40 am #
This is not shocking or new. If you have lived in Armenia, you know that the Republican party demands that if you receive anything from the state that you vote for it. The teachers in the schools will be called in and told they must vote and their families must vote for whoever the headmaster said they must vote for. This goes to all public sector jobs. The Republicans in particular are the part of intimidation. All of the big oligarchs outside of Doty Gago and the Gymuri Mafia brothers are members. To say no is to end your livelihood. Remember, Armenia has a 63% public employment rate so if you are not working for the government you are not working.