HERITAGE LEADER COMPLAINS OF 'UNEQUAL CAMPAIGN'
tert.am
25.01.13
With the pre-election campaign entering into its fifth day, the leader
of the opposition Heritage party complains that not all the candidates
running for presidency are allowed to benefit from equal rights.
At a news conference on Friday, Raffi Hovhannisyan said that most
contenders are denied access to public places these days.
The politician noted that Minister of Education and Science Armen
Ashotyan recently criticized him on Facebook for visiting the State
Teacher-Training University in violation of Armenia's Constitution.
"I visited yesterday the National Library and three universities to
present a book by my son. I introduced it to the library, wishing them
a 'happy voting'. There's nothing about the campaign," the Heritage
leader said, adding that his requests for meetings and free debates
with university students had met the minister's objections.
Hovhannisyan added that his party is aware of what he called an
anti-constitutional campaign with "pedagogues and university deans
being called to municipal administrations for strict instructions
on how to vote". The politician said he doesn't think the incumbent
president is in the dark about all that.
"We demand that Serzh Sargsyan deliver a report to explain whether
he is aware of the [Republican] party's political campaigning in
universities and other public places," he said.
The Heritage leader thinks Sargsyan must resign as the head of the
Yerevan State University's Board of Trustees in case of winning a
second term.
"No state official has the right to head a trusteeship board at a
higher educational institution. It is necessary to ban political
parties influence on student councils and scientific boards. We must
be entitled to meet and debate with a student. I must be able to
introduce my position to them," said Hovhannisyan.
tert.am
25.01.13
With the pre-election campaign entering into its fifth day, the leader
of the opposition Heritage party complains that not all the candidates
running for presidency are allowed to benefit from equal rights.
At a news conference on Friday, Raffi Hovhannisyan said that most
contenders are denied access to public places these days.
The politician noted that Minister of Education and Science Armen
Ashotyan recently criticized him on Facebook for visiting the State
Teacher-Training University in violation of Armenia's Constitution.
"I visited yesterday the National Library and three universities to
present a book by my son. I introduced it to the library, wishing them
a 'happy voting'. There's nothing about the campaign," the Heritage
leader said, adding that his requests for meetings and free debates
with university students had met the minister's objections.
Hovhannisyan added that his party is aware of what he called an
anti-constitutional campaign with "pedagogues and university deans
being called to municipal administrations for strict instructions
on how to vote". The politician said he doesn't think the incumbent
president is in the dark about all that.
"We demand that Serzh Sargsyan deliver a report to explain whether
he is aware of the [Republican] party's political campaigning in
universities and other public places," he said.
The Heritage leader thinks Sargsyan must resign as the head of the
Yerevan State University's Board of Trustees in case of winning a
second term.
"No state official has the right to head a trusteeship board at a
higher educational institution. It is necessary to ban political
parties influence on student councils and scientific boards. We must
be entitled to meet and debate with a student. I must be able to
introduce my position to them," said Hovhannisyan.