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VILLAGE IN TURMOIL: POLITICAL TENSIONS CONTINUE IN PROSHYAN AFTER MAYOR'S ASSASSINATION
http://www.armenianow.com/news/politics/46984/proshyan_village_turmoil_mayor_election_assassinat ion
POLITICS | 18.06.13 | 11:01
By SIRANUYSH GEVORGYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter
Tensions in the village of Proshyan that began after the assassination
of its mayor in April continue in the run-up to the election of the
new community leader scheduled for next month.
Armenuhi Melikyan, a trained nurse who acted briefly as mayor of the
village, has been forced to resign. She claims to have been threatened
with violence.
The need for a new mayor in Proshyan, a village with a population
of 4,600 in the Kotayk province situated just six kilometers
from capital Yerevan, arose after the April 2 assassination of its
50-year-old head Hrach Muradyan, a member of the opposition Armenian
Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun). He was shot in the head in
the backyard of the village administration building. Arayik Petrosyan,
a 31-year-old resident of Proshyan, was arrested for the murder, but
he does not admit to committing the crime. The family and relatives
of the assassinated village mayor have said on various occasions that
they do not think Petrosyan was the one who murdered Muradyan.
By the June 7 decision of Kotayk governor Kovalenko Shahgaldyan,
Melikyan, who is a former member of the Proshyan Council of Elders and
is not affiliated with any political party, was appointed acting mayor
until the July 14 by-elections to be held in the village. But village
administration workers did not allow the woman even to enter her
office. They insist that Melikyan is an 'intriguer and troublemaker'
and does not deserve to be in office even for a few hours.
Melikyan, however, thinks that the village officials opposed the
decision on her temporary appointment because she is not a member of
Dashnaktsutyun and in the new mayoral elections could obstruct the
plans of current deputy mayor Vova Sahakyan, who has decided to run for
village mayor and enjoys the support of the slain official's family.
Considering the situation in the village in which she claimed to
suffer intolerable attitude from a group of residents and fears for
her safety, the acting mayor asked the governor to relieve her of
the duties. In a statement, Melikyan also said: "At the same time,
I condemn the inaction of the governor's office and the police that
have failed to defend the law and fulfill their duties."
Nominations of candidates in the village of Proshyan will start on June
19 and will last for five days. Now only the deputy mayor, Sahakyan,
has expressed his desire to run for mayor. He has denied making any
threats against Melikyan.
"This is an absolute lie, an option for her to get out of this
situation," said Sahakyan in an interview with RFE/RL's Armenian
Service. He said the main problem was the character of Melikyan rather
than any political context or actions against Kotayk's governor,
who is a member of the ruling Republican Party.
Meanwhile, Governor Shahgeldyan has already appointed a new acting
mayor for Proshyan. It is his assistant Vrezh Mnatsakanyan.
Mnatsakanyan is non-partisan and is not a native or resident of
Proshyan.
By-elections are also scheduled to be held in the village of Surenavan
in the Ararat province (June 23) and in the Hovit community of the
Shirak province (July 14). The mayor of Surenavan died in a car
accident and the mayor of Hovit died suddenly of natural causes.
http://www.armenianow.com/news/politics/46984/proshyan_village_turmoil_mayor_election_assassinat ion
POLITICS | 18.06.13 | 11:01
By SIRANUYSH GEVORGYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter
Tensions in the village of Proshyan that began after the assassination
of its mayor in April continue in the run-up to the election of the
new community leader scheduled for next month.
Armenuhi Melikyan, a trained nurse who acted briefly as mayor of the
village, has been forced to resign. She claims to have been threatened
with violence.
The need for a new mayor in Proshyan, a village with a population
of 4,600 in the Kotayk province situated just six kilometers
from capital Yerevan, arose after the April 2 assassination of its
50-year-old head Hrach Muradyan, a member of the opposition Armenian
Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun). He was shot in the head in
the backyard of the village administration building. Arayik Petrosyan,
a 31-year-old resident of Proshyan, was arrested for the murder, but
he does not admit to committing the crime. The family and relatives
of the assassinated village mayor have said on various occasions that
they do not think Petrosyan was the one who murdered Muradyan.
By the June 7 decision of Kotayk governor Kovalenko Shahgaldyan,
Melikyan, who is a former member of the Proshyan Council of Elders and
is not affiliated with any political party, was appointed acting mayor
until the July 14 by-elections to be held in the village. But village
administration workers did not allow the woman even to enter her
office. They insist that Melikyan is an 'intriguer and troublemaker'
and does not deserve to be in office even for a few hours.
Melikyan, however, thinks that the village officials opposed the
decision on her temporary appointment because she is not a member of
Dashnaktsutyun and in the new mayoral elections could obstruct the
plans of current deputy mayor Vova Sahakyan, who has decided to run for
village mayor and enjoys the support of the slain official's family.
Considering the situation in the village in which she claimed to
suffer intolerable attitude from a group of residents and fears for
her safety, the acting mayor asked the governor to relieve her of
the duties. In a statement, Melikyan also said: "At the same time,
I condemn the inaction of the governor's office and the police that
have failed to defend the law and fulfill their duties."
Nominations of candidates in the village of Proshyan will start on June
19 and will last for five days. Now only the deputy mayor, Sahakyan,
has expressed his desire to run for mayor. He has denied making any
threats against Melikyan.
"This is an absolute lie, an option for her to get out of this
situation," said Sahakyan in an interview with RFE/RL's Armenian
Service. He said the main problem was the character of Melikyan rather
than any political context or actions against Kotayk's governor,
who is a member of the ruling Republican Party.
Meanwhile, Governor Shahgeldyan has already appointed a new acting
mayor for Proshyan. It is his assistant Vrezh Mnatsakanyan.
Mnatsakanyan is non-partisan and is not a native or resident of
Proshyan.
By-elections are also scheduled to be held in the village of Surenavan
in the Ararat province (June 23) and in the Hovit community of the
Shirak province (July 14). The mayor of Surenavan died in a car
accident and the mayor of Hovit died suddenly of natural causes.