VANADZOR MAYOR HAS IMMUNITY

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[03:06 pm] 10 April, 2007

Lori marz Court of First Instance examined the election application
deemed null and void in the election station # 30. Last week
the committee refused to register the mayor of Vanadzor. The
committee justified his decision based on the RA law about "Local
Referendum". Due to one of its clauses, the distrust towards the
Community leader is exceptional and it belongs to the aldermen.

The initiative group demanded the court to annul the decision and
register the mayor. Arthur Saqunts insisted on their appeal and
announced that the impeachment of the community leader could not be
considered exceptional, as far as the regional governor had the same
right based on RA Constitution.

Representative of Vanadzor Municipality and committee member
of election station # 30 Ararat Karapetyan found the application
unsubstantiated and subject to rejection just because it was a matter
of exceptional competence.

‘The mayor impeachment is possible if he does not carry out his
responsibilities properly. This is again something that both the
aldermen and regional government should be engaged.’

Ararat Karapetyan did not see any legal bases for it.

There will be people to be against Samvel Darbinyan’s impeachment. He
recollected the elections of self-government institutions in 2005,
when Samvel Darbinyan gathered approximately 24000 votes for, and 19000
votes against. On this account Ararat Karapetyan believes that some
day 5 people might form a group and protest against it. Signatures
will be gathered and presented to the aldermen.

‘ Even if the aldermen refute the very group cannot reapply; the number
of such groups can be more and more. ‘Ararat Karapetyan explains.

He thinks this will greatly damage the competences the self-gevernment
institutions, as well as the community budget.

Lori Marz Court of First Instance will bring its verdict on April
13. Hence only afterwards the matter will clear up.