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Armenia's Eleven National Minority Communities Appear to Support
President Sargsyan
Mаry Mamyan
13:41, February 2, 2013
There are eleven registered minority communities in Armenia and all
seem to be backing the re-election of President Sargsyan.
Yuri Yakovenko, President of the Rosya NGO, and a representative of
the Russian community, told Hetq that the community would be backing
Sargsyan and said that his organization would be initiating a `get out
the vote' drive.
`If we want to build a democratic country and civil society, we must
learn to respect ourselves, the law, and the constitution. We are
citizens of Armenia. People must fulfil their duty to vote,' said
Yakovenko.
He added that President Sargsyan's platform addresses all outstanding
issues faced by the community.
In his campaign platform, President Sargsyan touches on the minorities
issue twice, once in the `Cultural' section' and again in the
`Education and Sciences' section.
In the former, Sargsyan states `We will create additional
possibilities for national minorities to preserve their ethnic
identity and to fully manifest their culture'. The latter states, `We
will expand the possibility for all vulnerable groups with special
education needs, the youth and national minorities, to receive a
quality primary education.'
Presidential candidate Raffi Hovannisian touches on national
minorities once in his campaign platform in a section entitled `The
new Armenia we will forge together'
`Everyone living in Armenia, whether an ethnic Armenian or a minority
member, as well as all our compatriots spread throughout the world,
will be granted an equal opportunity to receive citizenship and will
enjoy all the privileges and obligations it provides, including
voting rights, a life and death of dignity, and equality before the
law.'
Nothing regarding minorities is to be found in the platforms of Hrant
Bagratyan and Paruyr Hayrikian.
Romanya Yavir, President of the Ukrania Federation in Armenia, told
Hetq that he is only familiar with President Sargsyan's campaign
platform.
Yavir said it's necessary for Sargsyan to continue to implement
those programs previously started.
Svetlana Namchevatze, President of the Iverya Georgian charitable
community, said there were no issues that hadn't been addressed. She
said that the Georgian community's issues of concerns were always
raised at the National Minorities National-Cultural Organizations
Coordinating Council attached to the President's Office.
`I can't speak for everyone, but I believe that all the national
minorities understand that our president's policies and positions
fully satisfy us,' said Namchevatze.
Arsen Mikhaylov, President of the Atour Assyrian Association, told
Hetq that he is partially familiar with the platforms of the
candidates and supports them all.
`Naturally, we would have liked to see more attention paid to the
minorities' issue, not only in the president's platform but with the
other candidates as well. He added that of late the authorities have
always shown assistance regarding educational and cultural matters.
Mikhaylov said that even though meetings have yet to be held with
representatives of the Assyrian community in order to declare a
general position, they will be held shortly. He said the community
hopes that Sargsyan gets re-elected.
Irina Poghosyan, President of the Belarus NGO, said the community
would be supporting President Sargsyan. She said that she has called
community representatives and was told that the community is ready to
go to the polls.
(The eleven registered minority communities in Armenia are: Assyrian,
Belarusian, Yezidi, Georgian, German, Greek, Jewish, Kurdish, Polish,
Russian and Ukrainian)
http://hetq.am/eng/news/22953/armenias-eleven-national-minority-communities-appear-to-support-president-sargsyan.html
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
President Sargsyan
Mаry Mamyan
13:41, February 2, 2013
There are eleven registered minority communities in Armenia and all
seem to be backing the re-election of President Sargsyan.
Yuri Yakovenko, President of the Rosya NGO, and a representative of
the Russian community, told Hetq that the community would be backing
Sargsyan and said that his organization would be initiating a `get out
the vote' drive.
`If we want to build a democratic country and civil society, we must
learn to respect ourselves, the law, and the constitution. We are
citizens of Armenia. People must fulfil their duty to vote,' said
Yakovenko.
He added that President Sargsyan's platform addresses all outstanding
issues faced by the community.
In his campaign platform, President Sargsyan touches on the minorities
issue twice, once in the `Cultural' section' and again in the
`Education and Sciences' section.
In the former, Sargsyan states `We will create additional
possibilities for national minorities to preserve their ethnic
identity and to fully manifest their culture'. The latter states, `We
will expand the possibility for all vulnerable groups with special
education needs, the youth and national minorities, to receive a
quality primary education.'
Presidential candidate Raffi Hovannisian touches on national
minorities once in his campaign platform in a section entitled `The
new Armenia we will forge together'
`Everyone living in Armenia, whether an ethnic Armenian or a minority
member, as well as all our compatriots spread throughout the world,
will be granted an equal opportunity to receive citizenship and will
enjoy all the privileges and obligations it provides, including
voting rights, a life and death of dignity, and equality before the
law.'
Nothing regarding minorities is to be found in the platforms of Hrant
Bagratyan and Paruyr Hayrikian.
Romanya Yavir, President of the Ukrania Federation in Armenia, told
Hetq that he is only familiar with President Sargsyan's campaign
platform.
Yavir said it's necessary for Sargsyan to continue to implement
those programs previously started.
Svetlana Namchevatze, President of the Iverya Georgian charitable
community, said there were no issues that hadn't been addressed. She
said that the Georgian community's issues of concerns were always
raised at the National Minorities National-Cultural Organizations
Coordinating Council attached to the President's Office.
`I can't speak for everyone, but I believe that all the national
minorities understand that our president's policies and positions
fully satisfy us,' said Namchevatze.
Arsen Mikhaylov, President of the Atour Assyrian Association, told
Hetq that he is partially familiar with the platforms of the
candidates and supports them all.
`Naturally, we would have liked to see more attention paid to the
minorities' issue, not only in the president's platform but with the
other candidates as well. He added that of late the authorities have
always shown assistance regarding educational and cultural matters.
Mikhaylov said that even though meetings have yet to be held with
representatives of the Assyrian community in order to declare a
general position, they will be held shortly. He said the community
hopes that Sargsyan gets re-elected.
Irina Poghosyan, President of the Belarus NGO, said the community
would be supporting President Sargsyan. She said that she has called
community representatives and was told that the community is ready to
go to the polls.
(The eleven registered minority communities in Armenia are: Assyrian,
Belarusian, Yezidi, Georgian, German, Greek, Jewish, Kurdish, Polish,
Russian and Ukrainian)
http://hetq.am/eng/news/22953/armenias-eleven-national-minority-communities-appear-to-support-president-sargsyan.html
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress