YEREVAN. – In the lead-up to the parliamentary elections, the ruling coalition’s Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) is collecting people’s passports in Ashtarak city, too, Yerkir daily writes. 

“An Ashtarak resident told the newspaper that, in the case when the RPA was offering AMD 5,000 [approx. US$ 13] for one passport, now the ‘bet’ has sharply increased by first becoming AMD 10,000 [approx. $26] and then AMD 15,000 [approx. $38].  

The citizen who spoke with us told that the RPA is unable to ‘restrain’ the people and collect the passports by even offering AMD 15,000.

The Ashtarak residents demand the money in cash and on the spot, not on the day of the elections.

Most of them decided to give their passports, take the [election] bribe, but to vote for whomever they wish,” Yerkir writes.