HAK'S VANADZOR HEAD: "THERE'S NO ONE IN THE MAYORAL RACE WE CAN SUPPORT"
Adrine Torosyan
hetq
12:44, August 28, 2012
The Armenian National Congress (HAK) is not fielding any candidate for
the upcoming mayoral election in Vanadzor, nor will it be supporting
any of those in the race.
Ashot Manoukyan, who heads the HAK office in Vanadzor, says that member
organizations can back anyone they like even though the HAK central
leadership sees no one in the race who shares its political views.
"We haven't proposed our own candidate because our prior election
experiences in Vanadzor lead us to believe that true elections can't
be expected," Manoukyan told Hetq.
When asked if anything had changed during the 13 year tenure of Samvel
Darbinyan as Vanadzor mayor, Manoukyan answered, "Sure things have
changed. Just look at the goings and comigs on the streets. Two-thirds
of residents have left. Those who have stayed behind neither express
happiness or sadness. They just have blank stares. Our town is part
of the country as a whole and has been impacted similarly. When things
get bad overall, things go downhill here too."
Manoukyan believes that regime change on a national level is the only
solution for Vanadzor.
"The number one guy at the top has to change. There is no other way.
Whoever wins in Vanadzor will only continue the political course of
the central leadership. We can't expect anything to change and that's
why we don't support any of them," argued Manoukyan.
HAK will be participating in the election for the Vanadzor Municipal
Council and has nominated five candidates.
Manoukyan says that the election of two or three will be considered
a serious victory for HAK and will allow the organization to fix some
of the shortcomings at the city level.
Home page
From: Baghdasarian
Adrine Torosyan
hetq
12:44, August 28, 2012
The Armenian National Congress (HAK) is not fielding any candidate for
the upcoming mayoral election in Vanadzor, nor will it be supporting
any of those in the race.
Ashot Manoukyan, who heads the HAK office in Vanadzor, says that member
organizations can back anyone they like even though the HAK central
leadership sees no one in the race who shares its political views.
"We haven't proposed our own candidate because our prior election
experiences in Vanadzor lead us to believe that true elections can't
be expected," Manoukyan told Hetq.
When asked if anything had changed during the 13 year tenure of Samvel
Darbinyan as Vanadzor mayor, Manoukyan answered, "Sure things have
changed. Just look at the goings and comigs on the streets. Two-thirds
of residents have left. Those who have stayed behind neither express
happiness or sadness. They just have blank stares. Our town is part
of the country as a whole and has been impacted similarly. When things
get bad overall, things go downhill here too."
Manoukyan believes that regime change on a national level is the only
solution for Vanadzor.
"The number one guy at the top has to change. There is no other way.
Whoever wins in Vanadzor will only continue the political course of
the central leadership. We can't expect anything to change and that's
why we don't support any of them," argued Manoukyan.
HAK will be participating in the election for the Vanadzor Municipal
Council and has nominated five candidates.
Manoukyan says that the election of two or three will be considered
a serious victory for HAK and will allow the organization to fix some
of the shortcomings at the city level.
Home page
From: Baghdasarian