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All eyes turn toward a decision with 2 hours left

As of 5 p.m. Central Election Commission reports that 57.14 percent of Armenia’s 2.3 million voters have cast ballots.

Meanwhile, the latest round of allegations . . .

• According to Armenia’s Helsinki Committee chairman Avetik Ishkanyan, voter bribing was recorded in Gyumri by a cameraperson representing Gala TV, who was then attacked by a woman distributing money to voters.

• Vazgen Manukyan’s campaign reports that proxies have left some polling stations after being unable to restrain ballot box stuffing and other violations. The candidate’s campaign also reports that in Polling Station 26/03 in Yerevan elderly people are being brought in cars but not allowed to enter the stations as others vote for them. Outside the same precinct unknown persons were distributing cash.

• According to Manukyan supporter reports, about 20 young people entered Polling Station 7/20 (Malatia-Sebastia), introduced themselves as national security employees, surrounded the ballot box and began to stuff it. Manukyan proxy Yura Zadoyan tried to interfere, but was taken out of the polling station.

• The opposition Heritage party registered several dozen violations. Heritage parliamentary faction secretary Stepan Safaryan says that vote buying is so widespread they no longer pay attention to it, but respond to ballot box stuffing, violence against observers, proxies and even members of parliament.

For instance, in Polling Stations 13/16 and 13/17 force was used against MPs Zaruhi Postanjyan and Vardan Khachatryan who had gone there to establish the circumstances of the attack on journalist Lusine Barseghyan and MP Armen Martirosyan.

• The Heritage list also says that in Polling Station 13/17-18 observer Vardan Samsonyan was taken from the precinct to a police station. Police deny the report, saying Samsonyan was not brought to police.

• According to Heritage, a cameraperson was on hand to record voting by soldiers in Polling Station 9/8 in a way that violates voting regulations.

• Orinats Yerkir party reports that repeat voting is taking place in Abovian’s Polling Station 28/17, in the villages of Aramus, Nor Gyugh in Kotayk province.