235 MILLION FOR ELECTORAL FRAUD

Lragir.am
14 April 06

The Millennium Challenge Corporation gave 235 million dollars to
Armenia on a condition. The money will be provided gradually, and if
any of the requirements of the corporation is breached, such as a
regression in human rights or democracy, for instance, the sum will
not be provided. The leader of the National Democratic Union Vazgen
Manukyan thinks this stipulation is favorable for the government, not
for the population. The leader of the NDU spoke to the Americans on
April 14 and explained his standpoint.

`They say the election in 2007 will be fair. Can you understand what
this means? The government does not care, they will falsify the
election if we fail to stop them. But this stipulation means that if
we speak about fraud, the government will tell people: look, because
of the opposition Armenia will not receive the money that was to be
spent on the construction of roads,’ said Vazgen Manukyan to the
Americans, and added, `you are not encouraging fair elections in 2007,
you want the opposition to be ashamed of speaking.’

Vazgen Manukyan thinks after the regression of democracy it is time to
`reconstruct democracy, although the word `democracy’ has lost its
value.’ If power in Armenia belonged to people, in the context of its
strategic interests Russia would have to account to the people of
Armenia. `They are not a fool but they can see that people’s opinion
should not be taken into consideration. And they do: they allow too
much to the government, legitimize, defend the support of Russian
power.’