Recently, a resident of the village of Khachaghbyur in Gegharkunik Marz showed me a membership card stating that he belonged to three different political parties.

The man is a member of the Republican Party, the Rule of Law Party (OY) and the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHP). (All three comprise the current ruling coalition in Armenia).

This well diversified political activist then joked and told me that if other political parties made him a “good offer”, he’d join them as well.

The man requested that I not publish his name since the move to join more than one party at the same time had been taken to support his family; i.e., he was paid by the parties for his membership.

“It’s no secret that, come election time, the parties compel people into joining. One day while at home, they came and took down my passport details. A few days later they returned with my card and said that I was now a member of the Republican Party. I said nothing because there was 7,000 AMD inserted in the card,” the man told me.

He joined the other two parties later on, from election to election. The man also received money for signing up but couldn’t remember exactly how much.

Of course, it’s illegal in Armenia to be a member of more than one political party at the same time.

Rumor has it that many residents are switching over to Prosperous Armenia and leaving the ranks of the Republican Party. In Gegharkunik, much of this can be attributed to BHP Regional Governor Nver Poghosyan.

In a conversation with Hetq, BHP President Gagik Tsarukyan’s spokesman Khachik Galstyan didn’t deny that the party’s ranks were being filled with new members. However, he noted that it was impossible to say if they were coming from the Republican Party or not.

Hakob Gaboyan, the ARF Mayor of Khachaghbyur, told me that while he had no specific information as to whether village residents were members of more than one party, he couldn’t rule out the possibility.

“Believe me when I say I don’t who is a member of more than one party. But it’s a topic of discussion all over the country and not just in this village. It’s a state problem. We all know that permission for such a thing comes from the top,” the mayor said.

He also confirmed that the law prohibits multi-party membership but argued that it was primarily a personal issue of conscience.

“First, voters shouldn’t allow themselves to be bought in such a manner. It benefits the authorities and so the parties go out to hunt for members before elections are to be held. But the ARF doesn’t engage in such practices,” Gaboyan added.

Mayor Gaboyan said that his forefathers came from western Armenia and that they were ARF supporters.

Gaboyan said that he would remain loyal to the ARF as well and not get mixed up in such party shenanigans.

He confessed that being an opposition community mayor in today’s Armenia was difficult and that such a person needed a good dose of inner resolve and courage.

“I am not acting here. All that interests me is that my country is at peace and grows strong so that you, our children, can hold your heads up high and not suffer.”