AUSTRIAN PARISH COMMUNITY OF ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC CHURCH ELECTS NEW BOARD AND CHAIRMAN

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 31 2006

VIENNA, MAY 31, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Board and Chairman’s
elections of the Austrian Parish Community of the Armenian Apostolic
Church that took place on May 28 in the central hall of the Vienna
State Federal Administration, passed in an unprecedented strained
atmosphere. There were few reasons: First of all, a number of
processes took place during the previous presidency on which the
Austrian Armenian community still waits for explanations.

Especially the story presented in the April issue of the “Azg”
newspaper on the will that spiritual pastor Archbishop Mesrop Grigorian
formed and which had an incomprehensible development, waits for
its outcome. Then, the decision, adopted by the Mother See of Holy
Etchmiadzin, to refuse Armenians from Armenia having the electoral
right of their right of electoral vote. Those issues made problems of
the community even deeper, and there was only one outcome: to elect
a board involving new, young, fresh forces and to connect with it
explanation of all noisy cases and the process leading to unity. As
a result of calcualting votes ended at midnight, the new board staff
and the name of the Chairman were stated. Lawyer Doctor Haig Asenbauer
who is the author of a scientific thesis about the Armenian Genocide,
an offspring of the famous family of Chgnavorians, was elected the
Chairman by majority of votes. His mother is UN Advisor Arshaluis
Chgnavorian, maestro Loris Chgnavorian’s sister, father is British
Petroleum specialist-advisor Erwin Asenbauer. In the opinion of the
majority of the community and old and new (from Armenian) members,
such a young staff of the board and the newly elected Chairman are
serious guarantees for presenting oneself under the Austrian Armenian
joint flag.