Ten residents of Yerevan's Byuzand Street whose houses were pulled down for “state needs” and who refused to sell their property to the government and give up their registration are now deprived of the right to vote.

The Electoral Code states that c itizens of theRepublicofArmeniawho have attained the age of 18 years shall have the right to vote in a district if they are registered in and have been actually living in the respective district for at least one year. But at present these people have no registration; moreover, they have been taken off the registration lists without any notice.

In February 2005 the Court of Cassation ruled to discontinue these peoples' property rights to their houses offering them trifling compensation and to evict the residents and turn the property over to the government for state needs. Later, the Constitutional Court, in its Decision 630, declared these rulings anti-constitutional and set October 1, 2006 as a deadline for the government to solve the problem. But this ruling did little to change anything.

Anahit, a passport desk officer of the Kentron Police Department, assured us that no one is being taken off the registration lists without his or her consent, but in fact the opposite is the case.

Former Byuzand Streetresident Astghik Hovhannisyan's family declined the offer to sell their house for $14,000. “They have taken us off the registration lists without letting us know, but we haven't signed the purchase and sale contract and haven't given up our registration. My passport was due to expire, so I went to have it renewed, but I was told at the passport desk that I and five other members of my family were not registered anywhere. We were presented with a fait accompli , deprived not only of our house but other civil rights, including the right to vote as well. We have four adults in our family none of whom can vote,” Astghik Hovhannisyan said.

The Electoral Code states that citizens who have the right to vote but are not registered should submit a request to be included on the voter list to the head of their district administration (in the period of up to 21 days prior to the voting day), in accordance with procedure set out by the Central Electoral Commission. Citizens who are not registered should be included on the voter list on the basis of a document confirming their place of residence.

“There was a notice posted in my precinct that if my name was not on the voter list I could submit a request, follow it up, resolve the issue in court and so on and so forth. But why should I do all this? The fact is that I was deprived of my right to vote. It didn't happen as a result of my actions, so that I should take steps to restore my rights. The addresses on the voter list start with4 Koghbatsi Streetand proceed straight away to29 Koghbatsi Street. Number 28 is missing along with our names. Seven adults from our family cannot take part in the elections. It was the first time that my daughter was going to vote,” said Naira Vardanyan, who used to live at28 Koghbatsi Street, Apartment 22.

 “I personally have registered a number of omissions in the voting lists. It turns out that six residents of15 Byuzand Streetand two residents of 23 and17 Byuzand Streetare missing from the lists. It's the same picture in Precincts 9/16 and 9/18, but these people have not given up their registration,” said Sedrak Baghdasaryan, chairman of Victims of State Needs, a non-governmental organization, “and the issue is not only participation in the upcoming elections. We are deprived of many other rights as well--we can't renew our passports, travel abroad, or, for that matter, run for office ourselves.”

Ashot Poghosyan received notification from the Passport and Visa Department that he and his daughter-in-law Suzanna Kabajyan, who had lived at15 Byuzand Street, Apartment 10, had been taken off the registration list. In order to receive his pension, Ashot Poghosyan registered at a relative's house in Masis, but three other members of his family are still in limbo.

The newly appointed prime minister, Serge Sargsyan, has promised to solve these people's problems, that is, to restore their property rights with adequate compensation. “At any rate, compared with the other officials, he received us and listened to us, and he promised to help us,” retired colonel Ashot Poghosyan said.

“I don't have any reason not to believe the prime minister,” said Naira Vardanyan. “At least he received our delegation. But the fact that he said that we should wait until the elections are over is a bit of a constraint.”