Armenian parliamentary candidate complains about “gross breaches” of law

Arminfo, Yerevan
19 Aug 04

YEREVAN

The parliamentary by-election campaign in Armenia’s 44th constituency
is going on with gross breaches of the country’s electoral laws.
Candidate Babken Markaryan told today’s news conference at the
Pakagits Club that supporters of some candidates were collecting
voters’ passports, bribing them so that they cast their votes for this
or that candidate. “A vote in the 44th constituency costs from 10,000
to 20,000 drams [18-36 dollars],” Markaryan said. He also said that
supporters of some candidates were putting pressure on his
followers. Markaryan claims that unidentified men have lately attacked
his supporters and beaten them.

Markaryan also said that other candidates’ supporters always tear his
election posters down from walls. “This stopped only after I called
Aram Sarkisyan, parliamentary candidate Artak Sarkisyan’s brother, and
asked him to calm down his supporters,” he said. Markaryan said that
he had decided to stand in the election only at the request of voters
from the 44th constituency, who urged him not to surrender and to
struggle to the very end. The candidate expressed his confidence in
his victory if the election is free and fair.

The by-election in the 44th constituency is being held because deputy
from the Orinats Yerkir [Law-Governed Country] Party, Aram Arutyunyan,
has been appointed to the post of the town planning minister. Five
candidates are standing in the election, with Araik Ayrapetyan, owner
of a chain of pharmacies and the Lavanda dry-cleaner, and Artak
Sarkisyan, co-chairman of the SAS Group of companies, being the main
contenders.

Araik Ayrapetyan is a member of the Nig-Aparan union [of countrymen]
and enjoys the support of the union’s honorary chairman, Armenian
Prosecutor-General Agvan Ovsepyan. His candidacy is also supported by
the People’s Deputy group, which consists of businessmen and which
Ayrapetyan is planning to join if elected to the National
Assembly. Artak Sarkisyan’s candidacy is supported by the Orinats
Yerkir Party, of which he is a member.

The by-election in the 44th constituency will be held on 29 August.