Live Blog: Armenia Votes For President

As RFE/RL's Artur Papyan notes, while Gymuri is important, the latest numbers say it won't make a difference in the national count. The latest numbers for the region:

Turnout: 50.6%
Eligible voters: 125,000
Total votes cast: 63,000

Even if Hovhannisian wins with 70%, that means he wins a bit less than 45,000 votes -- probably not enough to turn a national tide.

But CEC says on national level Sargsyan has 65% of the votes so far mediamax.am/am/news/politi… (arm.) #armvote13

— Vachagan Gratian (@vgratian) February 18, 2013

Preliminary data: Raffi Hovhannisyan won with 70% of the votes in #Gyumri (source Asbarez.com) #armvote13 fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn…

— Vachagan Gratian (@vgratian) February 18, 2013

Calling it a night:

And with that it's time for bed. #armvote13 will have to wait. What matters now is a) the @osce_odihr statement and b) size of Raffi's rally

— Onnik Krikorian (@onewmphoto) February 18, 2013

After asking his supporters to head to polling places to defend his proxies (each candidate can have three per district), Raffi Hovhannisian is now calling on his followers to NOT go to polling places.

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Րաֆֆի Հովհաննիսյան
ՈՒՇԱԴՐՈՒԹՅՈՒՆ

Խնդրում եմ խուճապի չմատնվել, գիշերը չգնալ տեղամասեր, կռվի և այլ սադրանքների չենթարկվել:
Րաֆֆի Հովհաննիսյանի դիրքերը ամուր են:
Տեղում անհրաժեշտության դեպքում օգնության կհասնեն ՎՍՏԱՀԵԼԻ նաձինք:
Վտանգ կա, որ որոշ ուժեր կփորձեն սադրել ու ստրվերել Րաֆֆիի հաղթանակը:
Հիշեք նախընտրական իրադարձությունները:
Զգոն, հանգիստ ու հավասարակշռված:

Խնդրում եմ տարածել:

RFE/RL TRANSLATION:

ATTENTION - Please don't panic, don't go to the polling stations, don't get into fights or give way to provocations. Raffi Hovhannisian is controling the situation. If there is a need, RELIABLE people will help our proxies in the polling stations. There is a risk, that certains forces will try to provoke and cast a shadow over Raffi's victory.

Remember the pre-election developments. Be alert, calm and balanced.

Please Disseminate.
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Differing messages coming from the Hovhannisian camp, to say the least.

Opposition candidate Raffi Hovhannisian has posted a note on his Facebook page saying the following:

Եթե ունեք Րաֆֆի Հովհաննիսյանի վստահված անձ ընկեր, բարեկամ, հարազատ որը հիմա տեղամասում է անպայման գնացեք իրենց մոտ օգնության:

Համատարած հարձակվում են տեղամասերում ՐաՖՖի Հովհաննիսյանի վստահված անձանց:

ՇՏԱՊ ՏԱՐԱԾԵԼ !!!

RFE/RL TRANSLATION:

If you have a friend or relative who is a proxy of Raffi Hovhannisian, who is currently in the polling station, go there to help them.

They are being attacked everywhere.

URGENT!!!

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There is as yet no evidence of this being the case and there have been no names announced of those supposedly attacked. If that changes, we will update.

Raffi's facebook page has appealed for help for its representatives in the precincts facebook.com/Raffi4Presiden… #armvote13 #Armenia

— CivilNet.AM (@CivilNetTV) February 18, 2013

Less than 5% of votes counted: Serzh Sarkissian is leading with 67% of the vote. Raffi Hovhannisian is second with 27% #Armvote

— Artur Papyan (@ditord) February 18, 2013

More impressions from Raffi Hovannisian's press conference.

Hovhannisian calls on world to recognize rights of self determination of Nagorno-Karabakh and recognition of Arm. Genocide #armvote13

— Liana Aghajanian (@writepudding) February 18, 2013

Raffi talks a lot about the Armenian people and opened his speech w reference to #ArmenianGenocide #armvote13 very diff msg in EN than in AM

— Adrineh (@_adrineh_) February 18, 2013

Presidential candidate #Raffi Hovannisian press conference live: livestream.com/a1plus #Armenia #armvote13

— Armen Devejian (@daddykool) February 18, 2013

We hosted a Google Hangout last week on today's elections from our Yerevan bureau. Our panel warned the polls would be "boring"