The man pictured here is Vazgen Asatryan, a resident of thevillageofNorabakin the Gegharkunik Marz.

On March 4, 2007 he was a candidate in the extraordinary election of the head of the village administration. He lost, as a result of numerous violations of the law before and during the election. He went to court to defend his rights and those of the people who had voted for him. On March 14, 2007 the Court of First Instance of Vardenis, Judge A. Petrosyan, presiding, heard the testimony of the parties, studied Resolution # 23/1 of the Election Commission, and recounted the ballots. Then the court ruled to pronounce Vazgen Asatryan the winner of the Norabak election. The ruling stated that “the verdict enters into force from the moment of publication and cannot be appealed.”

On March 15th the Election Commission of Precinct #23 of the Gegharkunik Marz sent a memorandum to Governor A. Grigoryan of Gegharkunik which reads, “We inform you that by the March 14, 2007 ruling by the Court of First Instance of Vardenis, Vazgen Hrachik Asatryan was pronounced the winner of the election of the head of the village administration of Norabak.” The memo is signed by the chairman of the Election Commission # 23, S. Badalyan.

On March 23rd the same commission issued an ID card for the head of the village administration in the name of Vazgen Asatryan.

Everything seemed to be going according to the law, except that since he received the memo on March 15th to this day, the Gegharkunik governor has failed to present Vazgen Asatryan to the community, thus preventing him from assuming his post.

Vazgen Asatryan's election, i.e. the people's vote of confidence, may not please the Gegharkunik governor, or someone of higher rank, but the Norabak election is irreversible. With this realization, various officials have begun trying to persuade Vazgen Asatryan to give up his mandate and stand in new elections.

But Vazgen Asatryan and his supporters, with whom we have met many times, have no intention of giving in. “The village has made its choice, and if we give in we'll have to leave Norabak,” they say.

It looks certain that after a long and persistent struggle Vazgen Asatryan will eventually assume his duties. What his opponents are struggling with is not the man himself but the break with tradition.

Because the people of Norabak have broken with the sacred tradition of city mayors', heads of local communities', and other officials' being appointed under the guise of elections.

The Court of First Instance of Vardenis in its turn has broken with another sacred tradition of humbly and obediently carrying out the will of the executive power.

After this, I suppose, the regional prosecutor's office will have to break with the sacred tradition of covering everything up and will bring an action against the precinct election commission for all the violations that guaranteed the opponent's alleged advantage.

This series of breaks with tradition would not bother the authorities so much if it weren't taking place just two months before parliamentary elections.