During a campaign stop in the town of Etchmiadzin, Prosperous Armenia Party head Gagik Tsarukyan got down on his hands and knees to shake hands with members of the crowd and to accept their petition letters.

During a short speech, Tsarukyan, one of the wealthiest men in Armenia, boasted that he had always made good on his promises. He also urged those assembled to freely vote according to their conscience.

In contrast to a campaign rally held a few days ago for the ruling Republican Party, at which President Serzh Sargsyan made an appearance, today’s rally was fewer in number.

This is due to the fact that at the Sargsyan rally school pupils, teachers and even kindergarten kids had been involuntarily bussed in.

This reporter was told that school administrators warned their staffs not to attend today’s Prosperous Armenia event.

When we tried to photograph one teacher, she shied away, saying that she had secretly attended the rally and didn't want her principal to find out.