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Cyprus Mail, Cyprus
Oct 9 2005
Armenians go to the polls
By Jean Christou
NEARLY 2,000 Armenians in Cyprus will go to the polls today to elect
a new representative to the House of Representatives after a short
but lively by-election campaign that focused on educational and
cultural issues, but also brought to the surface the divisions within
the small community in Cyprus.
For the first time since Cyprus' independence in 1960, three
candidates, two doctors and one businessman, will vie for the
Armenian seat. Dr Antranik Ashdjian, Dr Vahakn Atamyan and
businessman Parsing Zartarian, who entered the race as a surprise
candidate, have all promised to do their best to unite the community
and put an end to the polarisation of views that currently exists.
Voting at four electoral centres - two in Nicosia, one in Limassol
and one in Larnaca - will begin today at 7am and will break from 12
noon to 1pm before resuming to close at 5pm. Results are expected to
be out by 7.30pm.
The biggest issue in the election is the closure this year of the
Melkonian Educational Institute, the only Armenian secondary school
in Cyprus and the only one for a large number of other Armenian
students in the region.
The three candidates have pledged to fight to have the school
reopened.
According to the Armenian e-zine Gibrahayer, Atamyan's campaign has
received an endorsement from a group seemingly in opposition with
him. Atamyan was on the board of the Melkonian, but many feel he did
not do enough to save the school.
Gibrahayer said the Melkonian Alumni and Friends Association after a
marathon and turbulent session last Wednesday, endorsed Dr Atamyan's
candidacy while another group of Melkonian graduates signed a
separate declaration calling on Melkonian Alumni not to vote for him.
Atamyan has said he did all he could to save the school.
Other election issues include the protection of the Armenian
monastery in the north, improvement of Armenian primary schools and
introducing Armenian studies at the University of Cyprus.
An online poll at hayam.org, in which 400 people have voted, gave
Atamyan 25.8 per cent of the vote, Ashdjian 48.1 per cent and
Zartarian 26.07 per cent.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Oct 9 2005
Armenians go to the polls
By Jean Christou
NEARLY 2,000 Armenians in Cyprus will go to the polls today to elect
a new representative to the House of Representatives after a short
but lively by-election campaign that focused on educational and
cultural issues, but also brought to the surface the divisions within
the small community in Cyprus.
For the first time since Cyprus' independence in 1960, three
candidates, two doctors and one businessman, will vie for the
Armenian seat. Dr Antranik Ashdjian, Dr Vahakn Atamyan and
businessman Parsing Zartarian, who entered the race as a surprise
candidate, have all promised to do their best to unite the community
and put an end to the polarisation of views that currently exists.
Voting at four electoral centres - two in Nicosia, one in Limassol
and one in Larnaca - will begin today at 7am and will break from 12
noon to 1pm before resuming to close at 5pm. Results are expected to
be out by 7.30pm.
The biggest issue in the election is the closure this year of the
Melkonian Educational Institute, the only Armenian secondary school
in Cyprus and the only one for a large number of other Armenian
students in the region.
The three candidates have pledged to fight to have the school
reopened.
According to the Armenian e-zine Gibrahayer, Atamyan's campaign has
received an endorsement from a group seemingly in opposition with
him. Atamyan was on the board of the Melkonian, but many feel he did
not do enough to save the school.
Gibrahayer said the Melkonian Alumni and Friends Association after a
marathon and turbulent session last Wednesday, endorsed Dr Atamyan's
candidacy while another group of Melkonian graduates signed a
separate declaration calling on Melkonian Alumni not to vote for him.
Atamyan has said he did all he could to save the school.
Other election issues include the protection of the Armenian
monastery in the north, improvement of Armenian primary schools and
introducing Armenian studies at the University of Cyprus.
An online poll at hayam.org, in which 400 people have voted, gave
Atamyan 25.8 per cent of the vote, Ashdjian 48.1 per cent and
Zartarian 26.07 per cent.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress