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ARF SLAMS PROSHIAN ELECTION
http://asbarez.com/111621/arf-slams-proshian-election/
Tuesday, July 16th, 2013
Entrance to Proshian Village
YEREVAN (RFE/RL)-The Armenian Revolutionary Federation denounced on
Tuesday the conduct of a weekend local election that put an end to
its almost decade-long control of a major rural community near Yerevan.
The mayoral election in Proshian village took place three months after
the killing of its mayor, Hrach Muradian, who was affiliated with
the ARF. Official vote results gave a narrow victory to a candidate
of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia who was at loggerheads
with Muradian.
In a statement, the ARF's governing body in Armenia said the election
outcome was decided by the use of administrative resources, vote buying
and "coercion." "As a result, the Republican candidate who was the
slain community head's rival in the previous elections was declared
the winner," it said. "Such a display of political cynicism undermined
the electoral process and deepened existing tensions in the community."
The opposition party at the same time urged its supporters in Proshian
not to "succumb to possible attempts to create further tension." It
also assured them that the ARF leadership will save no effort to have
Muradian's murder solved.
The election results were also rejected as fraudulent by Vova Sahakian,
the main opposition candidate backed by the slain mayor's family.
The ARF statement came shortly after ballot recounts conducted in
two Proshian precincts. They did not change the official vote tally.
The local Republican Party of Armenia campaign denies the vote
rigging allegations, saying that the Sahakian campaign itself resorted
to fraud.
Meanwhile, Muradian's brother Zohrab said on Tuesday that the election
outcome reinforced the family's belief that the former Proshian mayor
was assassinated for political reasons. He stressed the fact that
Hrach had a tense rapport with the provincial and central governments
during his tenure.
"They have achieved their goal. They were interested in liquidating
him and taking his place. It was a political murder because he didn't
obey them," Zohrab Muradian told RFE/RL's Armenian service, pointing
the finger at the authorities.
http://asbarez.com/111621/arf-slams-proshian-election/
Tuesday, July 16th, 2013
Entrance to Proshian Village
YEREVAN (RFE/RL)-The Armenian Revolutionary Federation denounced on
Tuesday the conduct of a weekend local election that put an end to
its almost decade-long control of a major rural community near Yerevan.
The mayoral election in Proshian village took place three months after
the killing of its mayor, Hrach Muradian, who was affiliated with
the ARF. Official vote results gave a narrow victory to a candidate
of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia who was at loggerheads
with Muradian.
In a statement, the ARF's governing body in Armenia said the election
outcome was decided by the use of administrative resources, vote buying
and "coercion." "As a result, the Republican candidate who was the
slain community head's rival in the previous elections was declared
the winner," it said. "Such a display of political cynicism undermined
the electoral process and deepened existing tensions in the community."
The opposition party at the same time urged its supporters in Proshian
not to "succumb to possible attempts to create further tension." It
also assured them that the ARF leadership will save no effort to have
Muradian's murder solved.
The election results were also rejected as fraudulent by Vova Sahakian,
the main opposition candidate backed by the slain mayor's family.
The ARF statement came shortly after ballot recounts conducted in
two Proshian precincts. They did not change the official vote tally.
The local Republican Party of Armenia campaign denies the vote
rigging allegations, saying that the Sahakian campaign itself resorted
to fraud.
Meanwhile, Muradian's brother Zohrab said on Tuesday that the election
outcome reinforced the family's belief that the former Proshian mayor
was assassinated for political reasons. He stressed the fact that
Hrach had a tense rapport with the provincial and central governments
during his tenure.
"They have achieved their goal. They were interested in liquidating
him and taking his place. It was a political murder because he didn't
obey them," Zohrab Muradian told RFE/RL's Armenian service, pointing
the finger at the authorities.