Attorney Edmon Maroukyan, an independent who won the race for a seat in parliament from Election District 30, says he has no plans to join up with any established political party.
Hakob Hakobyan, of the ruling Republican Party, says he does not accept the victory of the declared winner, Sedrak (the General) Saroyan, an independent candidate running in the single mandate race from Election District 19.
Some voters at the 21/15 polling station in Armavir Marz have launched a protest vote for Mkhoyan, a candidate that was intimidated into pulling out of the race for parliament.
I believe that these elections are the last opportunity for changing the reality in Armenia. If the three political forces – Armenian National Congress, Prosperous Armenia and the ARF – can get their act together and guarantee free and fair elections, then the outcome will be a positive one.
On his financial disclosure, he claims to own no house, land or car. He received a 1.9 million AMD salary as Chief of Staff. His other income, 86.8 million AMD, derives from shares in the company, Tashir Invest Group.
According to his financial disclosure, Petrosyan owns 100% shares in the foodstuff manufacturing company MAP Ltd. He also sits on Prime Minister Sargsyan’s Industrial Council on a rotating basis.
Despite his young age, Gevorgyan has amassed a sizeable amount of financial resources when compared to his opponents. Another asset in his favour is that he’s the son-in-law of RA Chief of Police Vladimir Kasparyan.
In this hotly contested seat, it’s the opposition candidate Saribek Soukiasyan with the deep pockets going up against Garegin Noushikyan, the ruling party’s candidate with the inside connections.
When the race got underway, Aleksanyan feigned poverty and said he was in need of campaign contributions.
In his most recent financial disclosure, Sargsyan reported 3.340 million AMD as annual salary, 143,000 for lecture fees and 12 million in bank interest.
Petrosyan states that she’s employed as a soloist with the State Philharmonic Orchestra but lists not even 1 AMD in salary.
As to income, Serzh Sargsyan reported his annual wage as president – 3,896,800 AMD (2,045,089 after taxes). He also reported 8.740 million in bond interest.
In contrast to the last parliamentary election campaign in Armenia, this time around, the political parties contesting for seats are plugging away by using more general, pie in the sky promises, to lure voters to their side.
“No one can force me to vote for a particular candidate. I have my own mind to follow. They can’t bribe me. It’s my right as a citizen and I’m beholden to no one,” said the feisty senior.
Ter-Petrosyan lashed out at the ruling Sargsyan regime, arguing that it was the logical continuation of the Kocharyan regime that came to power in 1998.
Yesterday, five residents of the Aghvanatoun village in Armavir, tool 30,000 bunches of fresh tarragon to the Armenian customs house of Bavra on the Georgian border. They planned to sell their produce on the other side.
Yesterday, when Prosperous Armenian Party leader Gagik Tsarukyan was on a campaign tour of Armavir and meeting with the villagers, I was taken aback by the throngs literally begging for money and gifts.
During a campaign stop in the town of Etchmiadzin, Prosperous Armenia Party head Gagik Tsarukyan got down on his hands and knees to shake hands with members of the crowd and to accept their petition letters.
MP Samvel Aleksanyan, a businessman running for re-election to Armenia’s parliament, is urging voters to contribute to his campaign war chest.
What follows is a summary of some of the more interesting aspects of the campaign pledges being made by the ARF and the Republican Party of Armenia in this regard.
The woman claimed that by the time Mkhoyan’s sons got to the cemetery, they found their father on his knees, ready to be executed.
Meruzhan Mkhoyan, an independent candidate for MP in Election District 21, was beaten up during a brawl earlier today in the Sardarapat village of Armavir Marz.
Residents of the village of Vanand, Armavir Marz, boasted that they weren’t planning to take any election bribes even though they surely would be offered.
Harutyun Sukiasyan is an active five year-old who wants to be a soldier when he grows up. The boy also suffers from CF (cystic fibrosis).
“I bring the Yezidi manure here by hand to dry and make dung chips for fuel. We can’t afford to heat the home with gas,” said Grisha Smbatyan.
Heritage Party leader Raffi Hovannisian has pulled out of the race for Election District 7 in the May parliamentary election.
The three parties that comprise the ruling coalition of Armenia – Republican, Prosperous Armenia, Rule of Law – seem to have jointly decided on campaign slogans in the run-up to the May 6 parliamentary elections.
The MP/businessman (he owns the Yerevan City supermarket chain) wanted to place a bet that he’d be the only contender for Election District #7 in the May parliamentary election.
With 68 Armenian MP’s voting in favour, the “Emergency Situation Legal Regime” bill passed in parliament earlier today.
Vahan Hovhannisyan tops ARF proportional slate
Some “old” Republican Party MP’s failed to make the grade – Rafik Petrosyan, Mkrtich Minasyan, Gagik Melikyan, Hovhannes Sahakyan.
Guess who has garnered tenth spot on the ruling Republican Party’s proportional electoral ballot – no other than former Yerevan mayor Gagik Beglaryan.
Prosperous Armenia, a junior member of the ruling government coalition in Armenia, kicks off its 6th congress today at the Karen Demirchyan Sports/Concert Complex in Yerevan.
In the run-up to the May parliamentary elections in Armenia, a number of sitting ministers and MP’s, businessmen and government bureaucrats have rushed to file for membership in the ruling Republican Party of Armenia.
RA National Assembly President Samvel Nikoyan today appointed Vrezh Gasparyan as the Assembly’s Chief of Staff.
The accompanying photo, showing a help wanted ad for activists for the ruling Republican Party in Armenia, has been making the rounds on various internet sites.
The Central Electoral Commission has released the following names of candidates for single mandate seats.
Representatives of the three parties comprising the ruling government coalition in Armenia have not been invited to attend tomorrow’s second party congress of the Free Democrats.
Cars driven by representatives of the Republican and Prosperous Armenia parties are going around handing out sweets and drink in schools and kindergartens.
On March 2, Aram Hovsepyan, a presiding judge at the Armavir Regional Court, overturned the dropping of criminal charges after reviewing the petition of the boy’s parents.
Ararat Zurabyan, a representative of the recently formed Free Democrats party, told reporters today that an electoral alliance is in the works with the Heritage Party.
Invited guests included representatives of the Free Democrats, Nayira Zohrabyan and Vardan Oskanian from the Prosperous Armenia Party and the ARF’s Vahan Hovhannisyan.
After observing one minute of silence to commemorate the March 1, 2008 events in which ten individuals died, Armenia’s parliament passed a controversial bill pertaining to the “Legal Regime of a State of Emergency”.
According to the bill, those found in violation of the use of public spaces – streets, sidewalks, bus stops, playgrounds, airports, etc – will be subject to fines ranging from 20,000 to 60,000 AMD.
Even though the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) is a junior member of the ruling coalition, several of the party’s MP’s voted in favour of a bill that would change the country’s electoral system to a fully proportional one.
“This bill doesn’t improve the situation. If the authorities in power once again decide to execute a March 1st incident, people will be murdered again,” MP Bakhshyan said.
Today’s RA National Assembly session began with a minute of silence to commemorate the Armenians who were killed in the Sumgait pogroms this day in 1988.
Mayor Danielyan took out a $10,000 bank loan and used the village municipal building as collateral. The mayor signed off on the bank loan without the approval of the municipal council.
Enfiadjyan said he felt a responsibility to hear the concerns of the activists and that it was important that such civil initiatives were on the rise in Armenia.
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