ATAMIAN WINS ARMENIAN BY-ELECTIONS
By Georges der Partogh in Nicosia
AZG Armenian Daily #182
11/10/2005
Diaspora
Cardiologist Vahakn Atamian who won Sunday’s (October 9) by-election
for the Armenian Representative in the Cyprus Parliament, pledged
that he will act as representative of all members of the 3.000 member
Armenian community in the island republic, and strive to meet his
pr-e-election commitments which centers on saving the Melkonian
Educational Institute arbitrary shut down by the New York based
central board of the AGBU (Armenian General Benevolent Union).
“The most important problems facing our community right now are
the Melkonian, the ancient Armenian cemetery, and our historic and
religious monuments which have been under Turkish military occupation
since 1974 and are in deplorable conditions,” Atamian said after
his victory.
He called upon the entire Armenian community to join him in the
struggle to find solution to the serious problems of the community
and said that he would be running for election to a full five year
term in next May’s parliamentary elections. “I shall stand again in
order to complete the work which I am about to start”, he added.
Atamian, who is also the chairman of the Nareg Armenian Elementary
School in Nicosia, Larnaca and Limassol, has already had meetings
with political party leaders here and will take his oath of office
in Parliament on Thursday.
“As I declared in my pre-election campaign I shall also start
meetings with our own church and political party factions, starting
with Catholicos Aram of the House of Cilicia, because I believe
that our daily life is very much centered around the church and
the school. Here I pledge that I shall spare no efforts in order to
achieve the continuation of the Melkonian. For that I shall need the
full support of all walks of Cyprus-Armenian life irrespective of
political beliefs.”
Atamian, 48, is himself a graduate of the Melkonian and served on
the board of management for many years. The Melkonian was the major
issue throughout the by-election and is expected to remain so in the
general elections of May 2006.
Chief Returning Officer Lazaros Savvides, announcing the election
results, said there were 1.928 registered voters of which 1.538 cast
their ballots.
There were 1.478 valid votes, Atamian received a total of 769 votes
or 52.03 percent, and succeeds Bedros Kalaydjian who passed away on
September 1st at the age of 71. He was supported as an independent
candidate, by the AGBU Clubs of Nicosia, Larnaca and Limassol, the
Ramgavar Liberal Democratic Party, the Hentchag Nor Seround as well
as Armenian left-wingers and the Sanoutz Mioutyoun Melkonian Alumni
Association.
Candidates Dr. Antranig Ashdjian and businessman Parsegh Zartarian
received 649 votes (43.91 percent) and 60 votes (4.06 percent)
respectively.
Both independent candidates, Ashdjian was backed by dashnaktsutyoun
while Zartarian only had his family to support him.
The three minority religious groups in Cyprus, namely Maronites,
Armenians and Latins, belonging to the Greek Cypriot community under
the terms of the 1959 constitution, elect a representative each to
the House and deal with educational and religious matters.