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VOTE 2012: VIOLENCE REPORTED AT CAMPAIGN MEETING
By Gohar Abrahamyan
ArmeniaNow
16.04.12 | 15:57
Photo: www.nikolpashinyan.com
An attack Sunday on oppositional parliamentary candidates, one week
into the May 6 election campaign, has overshadowed a recent call by
President Serzh Sargsyan for tolerance.
The Armenian National Congress (ANC) released a statement, according
to which an attack was carried out against its candidates in election
district #7 (which includes Malatia-Sebastia administrative district),
as candidate Nikol Pashinyan held a campaign meeting. The statement
says that Babken Garoyan, who is on the ANC proportional list,
was injured, "candidates running for the National Assembly Gayane
Arustamyan and Zoya Tadevosyan were subjected to violence, too."
Police report that Arustamyan and Garoyan received medical treatment,
and an investigation into the cause of the incident is underway.
ANC lays the responsibility of the incident on renowned tycoon Samvel
Alexanyan, who is also a candidate in the district, nominated by the
Republican Party of Armenia, the ruling party of the president.
Pashinyan, who accused Alexanyan of setting up a regime that controls
the district "like Auschwitz", at a press conference on Monday said
that ANC representatives had informed international observers about
the incident.
The campaign headqaurters of the ruling Republican Party-backed
candidate Alexanyan, meanwhile, denied responsibility for the reported
attacks, presenting a counterclaim that Pashinyan and others were
setting up provocations to incite violence.
By Gohar Abrahamyan
ArmeniaNow
16.04.12 | 15:57
Photo: www.nikolpashinyan.com
An attack Sunday on oppositional parliamentary candidates, one week
into the May 6 election campaign, has overshadowed a recent call by
President Serzh Sargsyan for tolerance.
The Armenian National Congress (ANC) released a statement, according
to which an attack was carried out against its candidates in election
district #7 (which includes Malatia-Sebastia administrative district),
as candidate Nikol Pashinyan held a campaign meeting. The statement
says that Babken Garoyan, who is on the ANC proportional list,
was injured, "candidates running for the National Assembly Gayane
Arustamyan and Zoya Tadevosyan were subjected to violence, too."
Police report that Arustamyan and Garoyan received medical treatment,
and an investigation into the cause of the incident is underway.
ANC lays the responsibility of the incident on renowned tycoon Samvel
Alexanyan, who is also a candidate in the district, nominated by the
Republican Party of Armenia, the ruling party of the president.
Pashinyan, who accused Alexanyan of setting up a regime that controls
the district "like Auschwitz", at a press conference on Monday said
that ANC representatives had informed international observers about
the incident.
The campaign headqaurters of the ruling Republican Party-backed
candidate Alexanyan, meanwhile, denied responsibility for the reported
attacks, presenting a counterclaim that Pashinyan and others were
setting up provocations to incite violence.