A group of “specialists” in election techniques has taken shape over the last ten years in Alaverdi. For the people in this group, the organization of elections is a business, and campaign seasons are their hour of triumph. But people in Alaverdi hate them. These specialists, as a rule, are always on the side of the authorities, since it is this wing that pays the most. Alaverdi residents say, “Whatever bad things there are in the city, they are involved.” The financial conditions of these specialists rise sharply during elections.

Neither the political organizations nor the majoritarian candidates are afraid of election bribes at this stage of the campaign. The Orinats Yerkir Party leads the pack -- its dozens of local offices provide voters in Alaverdi with a magnitude of services. The party organizes discotheques, computer training and other workshops for young people, as well as banquets. The banquets are organized based on interests, age groups, etc. Health care workers, veterans, and young people are invited to the banquets in separate groups. It had been planned to hold a banquet for teachers, but some people say that the party feared the expense - there are about 500 teachers; others say that the school principals feared the wrath of Republican marzpet (governor). Instead, so as not to offend the teachers, the party donated a tape recorder worth 5,000 Drams (about $9) to each school. The principal of School # 12 wasn’t happy with this. When he was given the gift and asked to support Orinats Yerkir, he said, “Get out of here! I got three computers from the Ramkavars, your gift is nothing…”

After they got hold of the computers, Hovhannes Kochinyan, a member of the outgoing parliament, and Republican Party representative and majoritarian candidate, was addressing 27 Alaverdi residents gathered to meet with the Ramkavar party, and he was so excited by the fact that three schools in his constituency had been given three computers each that he concluded his speech by saying, “Even though I am a member of the Republican Party, I call on you to vote for the LDP (Ramkavars).” Rumor has it that Kochinyan was subsequently reprimanded by the RPA leadership. Some people assumed from this call that Hovannes was following the instructions of his brother, Lori Marzpet Henrik Kochinyan.

An interesting situation has emerged in the headquarters of other majoritarian candidates. Two candidates - Yerkrapah Seyran Atanesyan, and the secretary of the regional organization of the People’ Party, Larissa Paremuzyan - have not distributed election bribes so far. The other two candidates, the director of the Mikayelyan Surgical Center, Hamlet Tamazyan, and Hovannes Kochinyan, have taken different approaches. Tamazyan is inexperienced, although some of the “specialists” are involved in his campaign. So far Tamazyan has refused to distribute election bribes, saying that he has already “bribed” the residents of the Tumanyan region, since for the last twenty years he has treated everyone who needed medical assistance for free.

This is partly true. But Tamazyan, who chose a civilized way to campaign, has been forced to pay dearly for his lack of experience. During the first days of the campaign, he announced on local TV that he had a surprise for this year’s Last Bell graduation party. Through his Yerevan friends, he had paid advances to Irina Allegrova, Nune Yessayan, Tata, and others for a joint concert in Alaverdi on May 23rd. But the marzpet and his brother were on the alert. They prepared the necessary papers to show that they had already requested the mayor’s office to reserve the same place and the same date for Hovhannes Kochinyan.

Their show, which cost $3,000, had already been paid for by an employee of the marzpet’s office named Aybekyan. Instead of Allegrova and Yesayan, some restaurant bands were scheduled to come from Vanadzor. And after the concert, graduates were to be regaled in several restaurants - no secret by whom. The school principals threatened students and their parents with F’s if they attempted to attend the concert organized by Tamazyan.

Hamlet Tamazyan has so far succeeded in rejecting requests for money. But it is hard to say how long the candidate will be able to resist. Usually, bribes are distributed on Election Day. So far Tamazyan has contented himself with performing free surgery in his medical center to those in need - a total of 28 operations.

As for Kochinyan, he has opened banquet season, at barbeques and in restaurants. Society is divided into layers and is enjoying the campaign money. And now a new process of distributing vodka and flour has begun in Alaverdi.