Teachers at the Akori High School have been on strike for the past two days.

They are protesting the results of a December 20 school board election hat chose Anahit Mousayelyan as the new principal.

Pupils gathered around the school entrance told Hetq that they won’t go back to class until Armen Niazyan, a village resident who lost the election, is appointed the school’s principal.

Parents and teachers marched through the streets of this rural community in Lori Marz after the results of the election were announced. They say that they want “one of their own” to head the school.

The protestors claim that Akori Mayor Kamo Simonyan, who sits on the school board, pressured the other members to vote in favour of Mousayelyan and that the Lori Regional Governor also backed the candidate.

Mousayelyan won the vote 5 to 3.

School board member Seda Tomoyan told Hetq that the protestors are demanding a new vote.

“The vote was fixed from the start. We know that the actual vote was a tie, 4 to 4,” Tomoyan claimed. She couldn’t say whose vote was fixed in favour of Mousayelyan.

It is reported that four of the eight board members have signed affidavits verifying that they voted for Armen Niazyan.

Striking teachers say that Niazyan, a physical education instructor, is fully qualified for the job.

“He’s qualified, so why an outsider should be picked as our principal?” a few told me. (Anahit Mousayelyan is from the nearby town of Alaverdi)

Shoura Abgaryan, president of the school union, said that the staff had voted to strike until the 23rd.

“If a new election for principal isn’t organized, then we will continue the work stoppage. The pupils demand the same,” said Abgaryan.