LOCAL ELECTIONS WERE LIKE A DEAL, SAYS OPPOSITIONIST
tert.am
24.09.12
The local self-government elections in the five regions of Armenia
looked like a sale-purchase transaction, according to Styopa Safaryan,
the secretary of the opposition Heritage party.
Speaking to Tert.am, the politician addressed particularly the
polling in the Dilijan town (Tavush region), where the Heritage had
nominated one candidate. "It was noticeable, unfortunately, that
money, the administrative resource and the population's dependence
on the candidates appeared the major driving force," he said.
Heritage's nominee, Armen Simonyan, who ran for the city's Elder's
Council, is said to lack about twenty votes to win the election.
Noting that most of the elected council members are employees
of electricity services, water and sewerage companies and banks,
the Heritage secretary said it is no surprise that those people
should have an advantage. He regretted to note that voters never
guide themselves by a candidate's program and chose instead to take
account of the above factors.
Preliminary voting results suggest the incumbent mayor of Dilijan,
Armen Santrosyan (Republican Party of Armenia), has been re-elected
to his post.
The town's former mayor, Zhora Sahabalyan, also ran for election as
a nominee of the Prosperous Armenia party.
The Heritage representative running for the mayor of Tsahkadzor, Hovik
Hakobyan (who was also endorsed by the opposition of the Armenian
National Congress) is also thought to have lost the election.
The ruling Republican Party had nominated Artur Harutyunyan for the
town's mayor.
The second round of the local self-government elections covered
318 communities in the regions of Aragatsotn, Gegharkunik, Kotayk,
Vayots Dzor and Tavush.
tert.am
24.09.12
The local self-government elections in the five regions of Armenia
looked like a sale-purchase transaction, according to Styopa Safaryan,
the secretary of the opposition Heritage party.
Speaking to Tert.am, the politician addressed particularly the
polling in the Dilijan town (Tavush region), where the Heritage had
nominated one candidate. "It was noticeable, unfortunately, that
money, the administrative resource and the population's dependence
on the candidates appeared the major driving force," he said.
Heritage's nominee, Armen Simonyan, who ran for the city's Elder's
Council, is said to lack about twenty votes to win the election.
Noting that most of the elected council members are employees
of electricity services, water and sewerage companies and banks,
the Heritage secretary said it is no surprise that those people
should have an advantage. He regretted to note that voters never
guide themselves by a candidate's program and chose instead to take
account of the above factors.
Preliminary voting results suggest the incumbent mayor of Dilijan,
Armen Santrosyan (Republican Party of Armenia), has been re-elected
to his post.
The town's former mayor, Zhora Sahabalyan, also ran for election as
a nominee of the Prosperous Armenia party.
The Heritage representative running for the mayor of Tsahkadzor, Hovik
Hakobyan (who was also endorsed by the opposition of the Armenian
National Congress) is also thought to have lost the election.
The ruling Republican Party had nominated Artur Harutyunyan for the
town's mayor.
The second round of the local self-government elections covered
318 communities in the regions of Aragatsotn, Gegharkunik, Kotayk,
Vayots Dzor and Tavush.