The residents of Norabak have kept up their struggle. Following the March 4 election they appealed to the Court of First instance of Vardenis to have the election results overturned.

When we looked at the lists on the website of the Central Election Commission (http://www.elections.am/index.php?go=depart_info&tec=23), we discovered that candidate for the head of the village administration Artak Karapetyan did not, in fact, live in Norabak. The record states that Artak Karapetyan, listed as number 54,851 resides at11 Barekamutyun Street in Vardenis. The same website contains a list of Norabak voters; Artak Karapetyan's name is absent.

Apparently, the law was violated twice. First, with the registration of Artak Karapetyan as a candidate for community head since Article 122 of the Electoral Code states that every citizen of the Republic of Armenia, who has attained the age of 25 years, has been a resident of the given community for at least the last two years, and has the right to vote, can be elected as community head. Second, through Artak Karapetyan's participation as a voter in the election, since Article 2 of the Election Code states that every person who has been registered for at least one year and has in fact resided in the given community has the right to vote in the elections to the organs of local governance.

Even if we leave aside the numerous violations of the law that were committed on election day, these two are quite enough for the Court of First Instance to declare the election in Norabak invalid and to call for new elections, at the same time obliging the community administration to renew the voting lists.

Otherwise it turns out that Artak Karapetyan who was nominated as a candidate and got elected in Norabak will, as voter, take part in the upcoming parliamentary elections in Vardenis.

The members of the Central Election Commission and some of the leaders of the country keep threatening us with free, fair and transparent parliamentary elections this year and presidential elections next year. If they are able to resolve this contradiction, let them do so and give the residents of Norabak a chance to elect a deserving mayor. And if they cannot, then the model for the May elections has already been set here in Norabak, with a stamp of approval from above.