DESPITE REFUSAL OF MAYOR’S OFFICE, FEBRUARY 17 RALLY OF PRESIDENTIAL
CANDIDATE ARTUR BAGHDASARIAN TO BE HELD IN AREA ADJACENT TO MATENADARAN

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 16, NOYAN TAPAN. Despite the refusal of Yerevan
mayor’s office, the RA presidential candidate Artur Baghdasarian will
hold a rally in the area adjacent to the Matenadaran on February 17.

According to a press release submitted to NT by the mayor’s office,
Yerevan mayor’s office dicussed the notification sent by the
pre-election headquarters of Artur Baghdasarian and proposed that the
rally be held either in square adjacent to Yerevan railway station or
in the area adjacent to Dinamo stadium on the day and at the hour
indicated in the notification. The decision was made based on the RA
Law on Meetings, Rallies, Processions and Demonstrations Article 13,
Provision 1, Point 2 (another mass public event will be held on the
indicated day, hour and place, which excludes the possibility of
holding the given event; or another nonmass public event or some other
event – about which notification was sent in order envisaged by the
given law, which excludes the possibility of holding of the above
mentioned event – will be held on the indicated day, hour and place),
and based on Article 13 Provision 5 (if during discussion of
notification, the authorized body decides that based on the same
article’s Provision 1 Part 4 there is a ground for banning the holding
of the planned mass public event, then the authorized body shall
propose that the event’s organizer hold the mass public event in
another place (on the day and at the hour indicated in the
notification). The representative of the mayor said that he is ready to
dicsuss another proposal made by the event organizers. But this
proposal was not accepted by the organizers who said that regardless of
the decision taken by the mayor’s office, they will hold a rally in the
area adjacent to the Matenadaran on the day and at the hour indicated
in the notification.

The mayor’s office informs that it also received a notification about a
rally to be held in the area adjacent to the Matenadaran on February 17
from representatives of the pre-election headquarters of the RA
presidential candidate Levon Ter-Petrosian. For the same reasons, it
was proposed holding a rally in another place – near Monument to Vardan
Mamikonian and this proposal was accepted by the event organizers.

A rally of the presidential candidate, Armenian prime minister is
scheduled for the same day. It will be held in Freedom Square.