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Armenia votes for new president Count under way in Armenia poll
(about 4 hours later)
People are voting in fiercely contested presidential elections in the former Soviet republic of Armenia. Voting has ended in Armenia's presidential election, with a leading opposition candidate alleging widespread irregularities.
Many Armenians say the main issues are unemployment, poverty and corruption. "Very dirty things are happening," said former President Levon Ter-Petrosian, seen as the main rival of Prime Minister Serge Sarkisian.
But there have also been arguments about whether to offer more concessions to resolve conflict with neighbouring Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh. Mr Ter-Petrosian's supporters plan to hold a protest rally in the capital Yerevan on Wednesday.
A former president, Levon Ter-Petrosian, is running against Prime Minister Serge Sarkisian. There are seven other candidates in the race. Seven others were also in the race. The results are due early on Wednesday.
Although small, Armenia is seen as strategically important, lying between the energy-rich Caspian Sea, and the gas and oil markets of southern Europe. Mr Sarkisian is a close ally of the outgoing Armenian President, Robert Kocharian.
Polling stations opened at 0800 (0400 GMT) and will close at 2000 (1600 GMT) with early results expected on Wednesday. Although small, the former Soviet republic is regarded as strategically important - lying between the energy-rich Caspian Sea and the gas and oil markets of southern Europe.
Volatile contest
Armenia is a small, mountainous country of 3.2 million people with a recent history of armed conflict and economic devastation - and it still has major problems.
Armenian voters' viewsIn picturesArmenian voters' viewsIn pictures
Its borders with Turkey and Azerbaijan have been closed for more than a decade since the war over Nagorno-Karabakh. 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.
This election was initially expected to be a smooth handover of power from current President Robert Kocharian to his friend, Mr Sarkisian. Candidates were split over whether to offer more concessions to resolve the conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh.
But it has turned into a much more volatile contest. Armenia is a mountainous country of 3.2 million people with a recent history of armed conflict and economic devastation - and it still has major problems.
In his campaign advertising, Mr Sarkisian promised to bring the country new prosperity. The election was initially expected to be a smooth handover of power from Mr Kocharian to Mr Sarkisian.
"I assure you that now we will win in the struggle against our internal enemy, and our internal enemy is poverty," he said.
"We well ensure that there will be almost no poor people in our country."
Comeback
The campaign has been brought to life by Mr Ter-Petrosian, who has made a dramatic comeback as an opposition candidate.
Conflict overshadows pollsConflict overshadows polls
He accuses the government of not doing enough to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, although some Armenians see his calls for compromise as a betrayal. But it turned into a much more volatile contest, the BBC's Matthew Collin reports from Yerevan.
He also alleges that the authorities are using intimidation and fraud to ensure Mr Sarkisian gets elected. In his campaign advertising, Mr Sarkisian promised to bring the country new prosperity.
"I would hardly call it a campaign - rather it's a struggle that was imposed on us by the authorities," said Mr Ter-Petrosian. But the campaign was brought to life by Mr Ter-Petrosian, making a dramatic comeback as an opposition candidate.
"They have completely blocked us from any access to television. The only chance for us to speak to the people has been at rallies, but even there the authorities tried to put obstacles in our way." He has accused the government of not doing enough to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, although some Armenians see his calls for compromise as a betrayal.
He said the authorities had "completely blocked us from any access to television".
The Armenian authorities strongly deny that they are manipulating the election process.The Armenian authorities strongly deny that they are manipulating the election process.
But there seems little doubt that if opposition activists are not happy with the results, they will take their anger to the streets.