“I am sure that there will be election violations this time, too. The parliamentary elections will be as fair as the presidential was - fish stinks from the head,” said Vigen Kirakosyan, a resident of the village of Kamaris in the Kotayk Marz (province).

The parliamentary candidates are trying at any price to inspire voter confidence, or as people say, to “steal their votes”. Within the framework of the campaign, the majority of candidates compete not in terms of programs, but election bribes. And by saying election bribes, we now know that these include water meters, flour, vodka, sugar, manure, fertilizers, medical assistance, banquets, etc. In the run-up to the election, scuffles between opponents have been taking place in various precincts. At about midnight on May 8th, dozens of supporters of Vrezh Shahgeldyan, a candidate for parliament in Precinct # 45, burst into the campaign headquarters of another candidate, Melik Manukyan. Manukyan was not at the headquarters at the time, but several of his people were badly beaten.

There are six majoritarian candidates registered in Precinct # 45 - Aram Geghamyan, Liana Dalakyan, Hovhannes Hovhannisyan, Melik Manukyan, Vrezh Shahgeldyan and Hrair Petrosyan. The precinct includes 26 villages in Kotayk and the town of Byureghavan. The main contenders are Shahgeldyan and Manukyan.

Vrezh Shahgeldyan is a member of the outgoing parliament. He is the president of the board of directors of Skiurik Ltd., and the manager of Cattle Farm # 1 in Dzoraghbiur. Shahgeldyan intends to get reelected by any means necessary. For several weeks now, they have been compiling “election bribes lists” in Byureghavan. His voters can choose between a water meter and a sack of flour. He promised 20-30 trucks of asphalt to pave the streets of the city. According to our information, he allocated 50 million drams (about $86,000) to provide the city with gas.

Melik Manukyan is the manager of Saranist Ltd., which produces mainly glass containers. Manukyan doesn’t hesitate to pay bribes either. He offers a special rate - “3,000 drams (about $6) over what Shahgeldyan offers”.

“For so many years, Vrezh Shahgeldyan hasn’t done a thing. He only lays a wreath on the soldiers’ monument on May 9th”. And now he is trying to bribe us, but our village will not be bribed,” say people who live in Kamaris. A substantial number of villagers will vote for Melik Manukyan. Two months ago he erected an antenna in Kamaris, and promised to renovate the school gym. The village of Kamaris has 1,430 voters. According to the villagers, if the elections are fair Vrezh Shahgeldyan will lose. “He who says ‘Today I took your votes for money, tomorrow I will take your wives’ has no right to be a member of parliament,” villager Vigen Kirakosyan said.