MEETINGS BEFORE LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS

Noyan Tapan
Feb 22, 2010

AKHALTSKHA, FEBRUARY 22, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. A meeting with
a representative of the organizations Association of Young Lawyers of
Georgia, Fair Elections and International Democracy Society took place
on February 21 at the office of Akhaltskha House of Culture. Various
strata representing Armenian population of Akhaltskha: representatives
of NGOs, students, pensioners were invited at the meeting.

The goal of the meeting organizers was before the local self-government
elections to be informed of society’s problems, at the end of which
the organizations are going to present them to all parties functioning
in the country.

Unemployment proved to be the main problem of Akhaltskha’s Armenian
population. Those present mentioned that its reason is mainly ethnic
discrimination because it is Armenians who are mainly unemployed. They
also touched upon health sphere problems, in particular, high prices
for health services. The sad condition of communal services: water
condition, old sewerages, town’s pollution, rubbish, as well as the
bad condition of roads was also mentioned. Residents of Akhaltskha also
raised questions of the legal status of the Armenian Apostolic Church,
return of churches and historic monuments, information blockade,
illegal actions of customs employees, prohibition of Armenian books,
newspapers and other Armenian-language literature, as well as giving
a legal status of a regional language to Armenian.

The meeting participants will also meet with local Georgians and on
February 23 the guests will also have similar meetings in Akhalkalak.