Armenian candidate not recognizing legitimacy of forthcoming presidential vote
news.am
January 26, 2013 | 11:43
YEREVAN. - The press service of Armenian presidential candidate
Andreas Ghukasyan, who is currently on a hunger strike, released a
statement to explain the motives behind, and the nature of, his
actions.
`He [that is, Ghukasyan] does not recognize the legitimacy of the
[presidential] election [to be held on February 18] and finds that an
end must be put to the farce which the [ruling] regime has wrapped
around the neck of the body politic. He clearly demands that [ruling]
Republican Party candidate [incumbent President] Serzh Sargsyan must
not run in the election, and this could be the sole condition so that
the voting is held lawfully.
The party in power abuses its position and it is not a conscientious
competitor toward the [candidate] participants in the election.
Presidential contender Andreas Ghukasyan petitioned to the [Central
Electoral Commission] CEC, so that RPA be stricken of the opportunity
to run in the voting, but he was bureaucratically rejected. And this
very rejection became the basis for Ghukasyan declaring a hunger
strike as a sign of protest.
Also, he has required from the international [election] observers to
leave Armenia because their involvement in the election cannot be
constructive, when Armenia's authorities do not carry out their
international commitments to ensure competitive elections. Andreas
Ghukasyan is even prepared to end his hunger strike if the
international observers leave Armenia.
Also, Andreas Ghukasyan has called upon all nominated [presidential]
candidates to refuse to participate in the bogus election, and he
proposed them to join the civil [rights] movement.
In actual fact, Andreas is proposing the citizens of Armenia to decide
on their own to whether or not having an institution of free elections
in Armenia.
The addressee of the hunger strike is the body politic, and the body
politic must express its attitude toward the current situation,' the
aforesaid statement reads in particular.
From: A. Papazian
news.am
January 26, 2013 | 11:43
YEREVAN. - The press service of Armenian presidential candidate
Andreas Ghukasyan, who is currently on a hunger strike, released a
statement to explain the motives behind, and the nature of, his
actions.
`He [that is, Ghukasyan] does not recognize the legitimacy of the
[presidential] election [to be held on February 18] and finds that an
end must be put to the farce which the [ruling] regime has wrapped
around the neck of the body politic. He clearly demands that [ruling]
Republican Party candidate [incumbent President] Serzh Sargsyan must
not run in the election, and this could be the sole condition so that
the voting is held lawfully.
The party in power abuses its position and it is not a conscientious
competitor toward the [candidate] participants in the election.
Presidential contender Andreas Ghukasyan petitioned to the [Central
Electoral Commission] CEC, so that RPA be stricken of the opportunity
to run in the voting, but he was bureaucratically rejected. And this
very rejection became the basis for Ghukasyan declaring a hunger
strike as a sign of protest.
Also, he has required from the international [election] observers to
leave Armenia because their involvement in the election cannot be
constructive, when Armenia's authorities do not carry out their
international commitments to ensure competitive elections. Andreas
Ghukasyan is even prepared to end his hunger strike if the
international observers leave Armenia.
Also, Andreas Ghukasyan has called upon all nominated [presidential]
candidates to refuse to participate in the bogus election, and he
proposed them to join the civil [rights] movement.
In actual fact, Andreas is proposing the citizens of Armenia to decide
on their own to whether or not having an institution of free elections
in Armenia.
The addressee of the hunger strike is the body politic, and the body
politic must express its attitude toward the current situation,' the
aforesaid statement reads in particular.
From: A. Papazian