REPRESENTATIVES OF COALITION FORCES ACCUSE OPPOSITION OF USING "BLACK" PROPAGANDA

Noyan Tapan
March 18, 2009

YEREVAN, MARCH 18, NOYAN TAPAN. A number of National Assembly deputies
representing the coalition parties on March 17 called for an atmosphere
of tolerance at the upcoming elections of Yerevan mayor.

Member of the NA "Republican Party of Armenia" (RPA) faction,
spokesman for RPA Edward Sharmazanov said that parties rather than
individuals will compete at the elections of Yerevan’s mayor and
Council of Aldermen, and the party to win the elections will assume
responsibility for the activity of its mayor. Calling on all the
parties to engage in civilized competition, E. Sharmazanov considered
as unacceptable the propaganda conducted against "Heritage" party
after the parliamentary opposition had announced its decision not to
unite with the Armenian National Congress at the elections of mayor.

Member of "RPA" faction Armen Ashotian considered the black propaganda
against the candidate leading the RPA’s list as unacceptable (to recap,
the head of Yerevan’s Kentron community Gagik Beglarian (nickname
"Chyorny (Black) Gago") leads the list of the RPA). The deputy called
for tolerance, expressing a hope that irrespective of which party
will win the elections, the mayor’s elections "will allow overcoming
the March 1 complex".

"Prosperous Armenia" faction’s member Naira Zohrabian also called on
the political forces running in mayor’s elections to be tolerant. In
her words, the policy of "black PR" adopted by some forces may
result in an internal political propaganda war, in which there will
be no winners.