ACCUSED MURDERER ELECTED TOWN MAYOR IN ARMENIA

Deutsche Presse-Agentur
October 10, 2005, Monday 14:33:28 Central European Time

Yerevan

Armenian Armen Keshishyan will serve as mayor of the town of Nor-Atchin
from a jail cell after winning a local election during his trial for
murder, officials in the country’s capital Yerevan said Monday.

Keshishyan, who won an easy victory in the poll Sunday, was entitled to
run for office as no verdict had yet been pronounced for the killing
during an argument two weeks ago.

In a bizarre twist, the weapon Keshishyan allegedly used had been
presented to him by former Armenian prime minister Andranik Markaryan.

During his term of office, the ex-government head gave almost 590
firearms as gifts and awards. Some of the guns were later believed to
have been used in three killings and several attempted murders.