Armenian President Armen Sarkissian and First Lady Nune Sarkissian, currently on an official visit to Germany, attended a concert November 28 performed by the Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra at Konzerthaus Berlin in honor of the 115th anniversary of birth of renowned composer Aram Khachaturian. Violinist Sergei Khachatryan performed at the event, Sarkissian’s Office said.
Artistic director and chief conductor of the orchestra Eduard Topchyan conducted the concert.
In recent years Armenia’s Tsaghkadzor resort town hosts 50.000 tourists on average during the winter season.
Tsaghkadzor Mayor Artur Harutyunyan told Armenpress that there is an increase in the visits of tourists in recent years. Although no major snowfalls were reported last year, this didn’t hinder tourists to visit the town. The Mayor said Tsaghkadzor is always demanded regardless of the weather. The main visitors are the residents of Armenia, as well as the representatives of the diplomatic course in Armenia. However, there are also many foreigners, mainly Russians that visit the town. Every year many Russian tourists visit the town. There are also visits from the European countries, including Germany, France and post-Soviet states.
Artur Harutyunyan stated that in addition to the increase of tourist visits, the number of hotels and guesthouses also increases. The Mayor said previously there were nearly 30 hotels and guesthouses, but now their number is about 50.
“The increase of number of tourists is very important for the town residents from social perspective. First of all, the residents build guesthouses, in addition, new restaurants, stores are opened in the town due to the demand, and all these in their turn contribute to creation of jobs”, Artur Harutyunyan said. The Mayor said the municipality carries out renovation works in the town, restores the parks, streets and etc.
As for the price policy, the Mayor said the prices become more flexible by the increase of number of new hotels and guesthouses.
“Of course, there is a great demand in December, in connection with the New Year holidays. Many make bookings in late November or early December. There is such an impression that prices are high in the town, but in recent years a flexible pricing policy is being carried out in connection with the increase in number of hotels. For instance, there are discounts after January 10, there are also 50% discounts or people can stay in a hotel two days with the money paid for a day. The hotels as well understand that the expensive offers are not competitive”, Artur Harutyunyan said.
President of the Tourism Committee Hripsime Grigoryan told Armenpress that Tsaghkadzor is the main tourism town during the winter season, but there are also opportunities to create alternatives. In particular, currently activities are being carried out in Ashotsk to build a skiing base. She said having an alternative to Tsaghkadzor, competitiveness will lead to change of price policy.
“In addition, preparation works are being conducted in different parts of Armenia for having investments in the field of winter tourism. Here we witness different services provided by the private sector, but of course, it is desirable that infrastructures develop”, she said.
Talking about tourists visiting Armenia in winter, the Tourism Committee President said tourists arrive from different countries, Russia, Iran, Lebanon, the Philippines and Western Europe. Grigoryan noted that actions are being taken on the direction of Arab countries. Currently the issue of conducting charter flights from the United Arab Emirates to Yerevan is being discussed.
On November 25 Armenia was presented in Dubai. The goal was to promote Armenia in Dubai as an attractive and new tourism destination ahead of the winter season.
Interview by Anna Gziryan
Wednesday,
EU Official Sees Greater Aid To Armenia
• Sargis Harutyunyan
Armenia - Luc Devigne (R) of the European External Action Service at a meeting
of the EU-Armenia Partnership Committee in Yerevan, .
The European Union intends to increase its financial and technical assistance
to Armenia, a senior EU official said on Wednesday.
“We have increased and will increase our support to Armenia because we see a
[government] will to move in the direction supported by us,” Luc Devigne, a
deputy managing director at the European External Action Service, told RFE/RL’s
Armenian service in Yerevan.
Devigne noted that the EU is currently implementing 250 million euros ($283
million) worth of projects in Armenia. “We also have loans for 1 billion euros
in Armenia. We will do more,” he said without specifying future aid volumes.
After meeting with top EU officials in Brussels in July, Prime Minister Nikol
Pashinian criticized the 28-nation bloc for not boosting its assistance to
Armenia following mass protests that brought him to power. The head of the EU
Delegation in Yerevan, Piotr Switalski, countered at the time that Pashinian’s
government needs to propose specific reform-oriented projects before demanding
greater aid.
“We have seen a number of what we believe are positive actions taken by the
government,” Devigne said, singling out its efforts to combat corruption in
Armenia. The anti-graft drive bodes well for greater EU investments in the
Armenian economy, he added.
The EU official spoke after co-chairing, together with Armenian Deputy Foreign
Minister Karen Nazarian, the first session of the EU-Armenia Partnership
Committee. The body was set up recently in line with the Comprehensive and
Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) signed by Brussels and Yerevan in
November last year.
“At the meeting, the EU reiterated its support for the Armenian government's
reform process,” read a statement released by the committee late on Tuesday.
The Armenian side, for its part, pledged to ensure that the December 9
parliamentary elections in the country are “genuinely free and fair,” according
to the statement.
“We are confident that on December 9 the parliamentary elections will take
place in good order,” Devigne said in this regard.
Earlier this month, the EU and three of its member states -- Britain, Germany
and Sweden -- allocated 2.9 million euros in aid aimed at facilitating the
proper conduct of the snap polls.
Armenia's Water Operator Avoids Price Rise
Armenia - A sign outside the Yerevan headquarters of the Veolia Djur company,
September 2, 2018.
A French company managing Armenia’s water distribution network has agreed not
to raise the price of drinking water in the country for the next few years in
return for financial concessions made by the Armenian government.
The Veolia Djur operator moved in August to raise the price from over 191 drams
(40 U.S. cents) to 205 drams per cubic meter starting next January. It said it
needs additional revenue to upgrade the aging network. It also argued that
annual price hikes are envisaged by its 15-year management contract with the
government signed in November 2016.
The government’s State Committee on Water Resources strongly objected to Veolia
Djur’s plans, criticizing the company’s track record.
Later in August, the Armenian police launched a criminal investigation into
what they called corrupt practices by state utility regulators and the water
operator.
A police statement said that in late 2017 the then chairman of the Public
Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC), Robert Nazarian, and seven other senior
officials from the regulatory body travelled to France on a visit fully funded
by Veolia Djur.The statement charged that this amounted to a bribe paid by
Veolia Djur’s director general, Christian Lefaix, and another senior executive
paid for securing the PSRC’s subsequent decision to allow the company to raise
the water price.
The police also claimed to have found financial irregularities in Veolia’s
contracts with Armenian suppliers worth 3.7 billion drams.
The company, which is part of France’s Veolia utility giant, angrily denied the
accusations. The PSRC also rejected them as “baseless.”
Last week, the PSRC indicated its plans to allow Veolia to set the water price
at 202 drams per cubic meters. But it announced on Wednesday that Veolia has
agreed to delay the price hike until 2025 as part of a deal with the Armenian
Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources signed on Monday.
In a separate statement, the ministry specified that in return for keeping the
price unchanged the company will be allowed to make less capital investments in
the water network than were envisaged by the 2016 management contract. It
presented the deal as proof of increased “mutual trust” between the Armenian
government and Veolia.
According to the PSRC, the government will also continue to subsidize the water
tariff in 2019. This means that Armenian households will keep paying 180 drams
for every cubic meter of water.
Veolia managed the water and sewerage network of Yerevan from 2007-2016,
phasing out Soviet-era water rationing in the vast majority of city
neighborhoods. “By 2030 the entire population of Armenia will be supplied with
drinking water [around the clock] thanks to Veolia,” the company pledged in
November 2016.
Chief Prosecutor Insists On Kocharian’s Renewed Arrest
• Anush Muradian
• Anush Mkrtchian
Armenia - Proescutor-General Artur Davtian speaks to journalists in Yerevan,
.
Armenia’s courts must allow law-enforcement authorities to again arrest former
President Robert Kocharian in connection with the 2008 post-election violence
in Yerevan, Prosecutor-General Artur Davtian insisted on Wednesday.
Kocharian was arrested in July on charges stemming from the deadly breakup of
opposition demonstrations during the final weeks of his 1998-2008 rule. He
strongly denies the accusations, saying that the current Armenian government is
waging a political “vendetta” against him.
The Court of Appeals freed the 64-year-old in August, saying that the Armenian
constitution gives him immunity from prosecution. Both state prosecutors and
Kocharian appealed against that ruling. The latter claimed that there were also
other legal grounds for his release.
Earlier this month, the Court of Cassation, the country’s highest body of
criminal justice, ordered the Court of Appeals to examine the case anew. The
latter began hearings on the matter on Tuesday.
Davtian is personally attending the hearings along with several other
prosecutors. “Our position is that [Kocharian] must stay under arrest,” he told
reporters.
“We are making arguments substantiating the need for the second president’s
arrest at this stage of the investigation,” added the chief prosecutor.
ARMENIA -- Then Armenian President Robert Kocharian talks to the media at a
polling station in Yerevan, February 19, 2008
Kocharian is specifically accused of illegally using the armed forces against
opposition supporters who protested against alleged fraud in a disputed
presidential election held in February 2008. Law-enforcement authorities say
that amounted to an overthrow of the constitutional order.
Eight protesters and two police personnel were killed when security forces
quelled those protests on March 1-2, 2008.
The Court of Appeals assigned the case to one of its judges, Ruben Mkhitarian,
by a draw, prompting strong objections from Kocharian’s lawyers. They claimed
that this is a violation of Armenian law and demanded Mkhitarian’s replacement.
The judge rejected the demand on Wednesday.
One of the defense lawyers, Hayk Alumian, said they will file other court
petitions on Thursday. In particular, he said, they will demand that Mkhitarian
ask Armenia’s Constitutional Court to rule on an article of the Criminal Code
used against the ex-president. The lawyers believe that the article is
unconstitutional, said Alumian.
Kocharian announced his return to active politics just days after his release
from prison. He has repeatedly accused Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s
government of endangering the country’s national security, undermining its
relations with Russia and lacking economic programs. Still, he decided not run
in snap parliamentary elections slated for December 9.
Pashinian, who played a key role in the 2008 protests and spent nearly two
years in prison because of that, has strongly defended the criminal case
against Kocharian. “All murderers will go to prison,” he declared on August 17.
Pashinian Refuses TV Debate With Republican Leader
• Naira Nalbandian
Armenia - Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian holds a campaign rally in Maralik,
November 26, 2018.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian refused on Wednesday to take part in a
one-on-one televised debate with the top parliamentary election candidate of
the former ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK).
The candidate, Vigen Sargsian, challenged Pashinian to such a debate earlier in
the day, while accusing the latter of campaigning for the December 9 elections
in “the most ugly and inappropriate” way.
Pashinian dismissed the proposal as “illogical” as he campaigned in the
northern Tavush province. “The same proposal could be made by [Bright Armenia
party leader] Edmon Marukian, [Menk alliance] leader Aram Sarkisian and other
parties,” he told reporters. “Should I have 10 separate debates?”
Pashinian said he is prepared instead for a different TV debate that would
involve leaders of all 11 parties and blocs running in the snap elections.
Sargsian said he too supports such a broad-based debate but believes that he
and Pashinian must also face each other separately because the HHK is the main
target of the premier’s harsh verbal attacks launched on the campaign trail.
Pashinian spends most of his campaign “scaring the people with Republicans,”
said the former defense minister.
The HHK condemned this “hate speech” in a written appeal to Armenia’s Central
Election Commission and human rights ombudsman issued on Tuesday.
Pashinian shrugged off the HHK claims. “I think that with their black-and-white
posters the Republicans created a notion or admitted that they are hated in
Armenia,” he said. “I’m not the one who has disseminated that sentiment. They
have disseminated it with their activities.”
Campaigning in another northern province, Lori, on Tuesday, Pashinian pledged
to “grab by the throat,” “throw to the ground” and jail loyalists of the former
ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) who would try to pressure voters. He
ordered the Armenian police to deal with HHK-linked “criminal elements” in a
similar fashion. He did not name names.
Press Review
“Zhamanak” reports that Armenia’s Court of Appeals has opened fresh hearings on
the pre-trial arrest of former President Robert Kocharian sought by
law-enforcement authorities. The paper notes that hearings coincided with the
start of the parliamentary election campaign. It says Prime Minister Nikol
Pashinian stated on the campaign trail on Tuesday that public funds which he
said were stolen from the state by Kocharian and other former official must be
given to the Armenian military.
“Zhoghovurd” quotes Russia’s ambassador to Armenia, Sergey Kopyrkin, as saying
that the disputed issue of who should be the next secretary general of the
Russian-led Collective Security Treaty (CSTO) organization must be resolved by
consensus. “In his words, all member states of the organization are interested
in seeing the organization function and contribute to their security,” writes
the paper. It also cites Pashinian as saying on Tuesday that Armenia’s
relationship with Russia, including within the CSTO framework, must be “raised
to a new level.” “That is to say that Armenia’s new authorities are once again
sending a clear message to international partners and the Russian Federation in
the first instance to the effect that there will be no change in [Armenia’s]
foreign policy vector,” it says.
“Aravot” dismisses the “conspiracy theory” about Western involvement in the
spring revolution in Armenia aimed at facilitating a pro-Azerbaijani resolution
of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. “The Karabakh issue is of less interest to
the young people who blocked streets [in Yerevan] than to our generation,”
writes the paper’s veteran editor, Aram Abrahamian. “True, during the April
2016 war [in Karabakh] their peers sacrificed their lives to defend our
borders. But that does not negate the fact that the main aim of the key
participants of the revolution, namely young people, was to reject the
previous, corrupt and rotten, system … The Karabakh theme was not a factor.
People just want to have a normal, modern and democratic state free from
corruption and impunity.”
(Lilit Harutiunian)
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2018 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
www.rferl.org
YEREVAN, November 28. /ARKA/. Amendment of Armenia’s tax code will bring a complete tax exemption to micro businesses, Armenian Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Wednesday at a rally staged in Noyemberyan as part of his party’s election campaign.
“I can’t say when exactly, since this depends on political things, but as soon as the tax code will be amended, micro businesses will enjoy a full tax exemption,” he said.
“In other words, those businesses having annual turnover of up to AMD 20-24 million will be exempted from taxes, and such businesses are widespread especially in provinces, including Noyemberyan.”
Pashinyan said that self-employed taxi drivers will be rid of the necessity of paying for their licenses.
“We are doing that to promote work and working people in our country,” he said.
Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan resigned October 16 to clear way for the dissolution of the parliament and holding early parliamentary elections. Under the Armenian Constitution, early elections are held if lawmakers fail twice within 14 days to appoint a prime minister.
Pashinyan was elected as PM by the country's National Assembly after former president turned-prime minister Serzh Sargsyan resigned on April 23 under immense public pressure provided by weeks of nationwide protest against Sargsyan and his Republican Party.
Nine political parties and 2 blocs will be contesting the polls. They are My Step bloc, the Prosperous Armenia Party, the National Progress Party, the Christian-National Revival, the Sasna Tsrer All-Armenian Party, the Orinats Yerkir Party, the We bloc, the ARF Dashnaktsutyun Party, the Bright Armenia bloc, the Republican Party of Armenia, the Social Democratic Party and the Decision of Citizen party. -0—
YEREVAN, November 28. /ARKA/. Armenian Ambassador in the Netherlands Tigran Balayan met Wednesday with Dutch Enterprise Agency (RVO) Advisor Brigitte Groenland and Blew Dairies Technical Director Martin de Jong and discussed RVO's ongoing projects in Armenia and the possibility of their engagement.
Martin De Jong briefed about his study on Dairy sector development in Armenia.
Engagement of Dutch IT companies in Armenia was discussed as well. –0—
YEREVAN, November 28. /ARKA/. Armenia’s main objective is economic revolution, Gagik Tsarukyan, the leader of Prosperous Armenia party, said Tuesday while speaking at a rally staged in Abovyan as part of his election campaign.
“There is a chance to do this,” he said. “Today everybody wants to work. There were even worse situations in different countries, but things are being put right gradually by unification and management.”
Tsarukyan said that there are problems in all areas.
“All these problems should be solved,” he said. “We should adopt laws to solve these problems. Today in any country small and medium-size businesses constitute the pivot of the economy, which make up 50%, 60 or 70% of any European country’s economy.”
Along with that, Tsarukyan said that it is wrong to rely heavily on SMEs in composing the government budget. He proposed to ease their tax burden amid crises.
“Investments are needed, but we shouldn’t ask investors for money, but we should create favorable conditions to attract them.”
Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan resigned October 16 to clear way for the dissolution of the parliament and holding early parliamentary elections. Under the Armenian Constitution, early elections are held if lawmakers fail twice within 14 days to appoint a prime minister.
Pashinyan was elected as PM by the country's National Assembly after former president turned-prime minister Serzh Sargsyan resigned on April 23 under immense public pressure provided by weeks of nationwide protest against Sargsyan and his Republican Party.
Nine political parties and 2 blocs will be contesting the polls. They are My Step bloc, the Prosperous Armenia Party, the National Progress Party, the Christian-National Revival, the Sasna Tsrer All-Armenian Party, the Orinats Yerkir Party, the We bloc, the ARF Dashnaktsutyun Party, the Bright Armenia bloc, the Republican Party of Armenia, the Social Democratic Party and the Decision of Citizen party. -0-
YEREVAN. – The campaign season for the upcoming snap parliamentary election in Armenia is underway for two days already, and we can say that unusual events and incidents have not occurred yet, Zhamanak (Time) newspaper reported.
“In their public address before the start of the campaign, virtually all [political] parties, [MP] candidates urged to maintain politeness toward contending forces, or rating [i.e. territorial representation electoral system] candidates.
“[But] the Zhamanak correspondent yesterday [Tuesday] informed that at Shengavit administrative district (…) of [capital city] Yerevan, the Bright Armenia Party candidates’ election posters posted on the walls are being destroyed by the members, or supporters of [acting PM Nikol Pashinyan-led] My Step alliance, [and] posting their own [posters],” Zhamanak wrote.
Campaign season for the upcoming snap National Assembly (NA) election has gotten underway Monday in Armenia.
The campaign season will conclude on December 7, whereas December 8 is election silence day, and December 9—election day
Eleven political forces—two alliances and nine parties—are running for parliament.
As a result of this election, the NA seats will be distributed proportionally among the political forces that have passed the respective minimum thresholds: 5% for parties, and 7% for alliances.
YEREVAN, November 28. /ARKA/. The election headquarters of the Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) lashed out at acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Tuesday describing in a statement a string of statements he made over the last two days as ‘the most vivid manifestation of hatred that crosses all permissible limits of political struggle, as well as violates a number of human and moral principles.’
"This sort of behavior is unprecedented in our political culture, especially coming from a high-ranking official – the prime minister, who is responsible for the security and prosperity of all of us," the statement said.
Recalling that HHK already had a reason to talk about the abuse of power and use of administrative resource by Pashinyan, the statement notes that another obvious example of that is that the head of the government, while officially on vacation, voiced threats against the elected officials, and in fact gave police orders mandatory for execution.
“We are drawing the attention of the Central Election Commission, the Ombudsman and international observation missions to the speeches, behavior and rhetoric of the acting Prime Minister,” the statement said.
Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan resigned October 16 to clear way for the dissolution of the parliament and holding early parliamentary elections. Under the Armenian Constitution, early elections are held if lawmakers fail twice within 14 days to appoint a prime minister.
Pashinyan was elected as PM by the country's National Assembly after former president turned-prime minister Serzh Sargsyan resigned on April 23 under immense public pressure provided by weeks of nationwide protest against Sargsyan and his Republican Party.
Nine political parties and 2 blocs will be contesting the polls. They are My Step bloc, the Prosperous Armenia Party, the National Progress Party, the Christian-National Revival, the Sasna Tsrer All-Armenian Party, the Orinats Yerkir Party, the We bloc, the ARF Dashnaktsutyun Party, the Bright Armenia bloc, the Republican Party of Armenia, the Social Democratic Party and the Decision of Citizen party. -0-
Researches of both local and international organizations reveal continuous inhuman attitude and torture cases in Armenia, chairman of Armenian Helsinki Committee NGO Avetik Ishkhanyan said at the conference dedicated to the 10th anniversary of activity of the Human Rights Defender in the Torture Prevention Sphere launched in Yerevan today.
“The situation is rather worrying in police. The cases of bad attitude, tortures are being revealed there after the cases have tragic end or the victims are activists who voice about it,” Ishkhanyan said.
The advocate said usually no criminal cases are being launched or they are being filed and immediately suspended.
Ishkhanyan said the situation changed after 2001 when Armenia became member of the Council of Europe. “But I would like to note with regret that no serious changes have taken place even after it,” Ishkhanyan said.
Harut Sassounian
BY HARUT SASSOUNIAN
The Acting Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan has made attracting overseas investors the priority of his new government.
So far, it is too early to determine if foreign investors are interested in doing business in Armenia. The common explanation for the lack of new investors is that they are waiting for the results of Parliamentary elections scheduled for December 9, 2018. It is expected that the Acting Prime Minister’s political party will win the majority of the Parliamentary seats. Government officials believe that this will encourage foreigners to start investing in Armenia.
However, there is an additional way that Armenia can attract new foreign investors relatively quickly by offering them citizenship. Many countries around the world have offered such citizenship opportunities to foreigners, including the United States, Europe and third world countries.
Earlier this year, the hetq.am investigative website published an article on Arton Capital, a company that specializes in “citizenship by investment” programs around the world. A delegation from the company visited Armenia last year at the invitation of the International Center for Migration Policy Development. Anton Capital’s website stated after the visit: “the concept of citizenship by investment was embraced by [Armenia’s] high level officials at the Ministry of Economic Development and Investments, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Presidential Administration, the Central Bank, the Police, the State Migration Service and the Center for Strategic Initiatives.”
Armand Arton, a Bulgarian-Armenian, is the President of Arton Capital, and Emil Shahmooradian is the company’s Vice President of Business Development. Arton Capital has offices in a dozen countries. On his company’s website, Armand Arton stated: “as a proud Armenian, I am honored to offer my years of professional experience and acute know-how to help the country meet its foreign direct investment goals. In support of its philanthropic commitment, Arton Capital has pledged to donate the consulting fees awarded by the contract to help refugees in Armenia. More than 20,000 Syrians, many of whom are ethnically Armenian, have found refuge in Armenia since the Syrian war began in 2011.”
Countries offering such a program require from foreigners different levels of investment to qualify for citizenship. Arton Capital recommends that Armenia require the small amount of $50,000 as a minimum investment for a foreigner to become a citizen. Other countries demand much more from foreign investors with the most attractive countries asking as much as $10 million of investment for citizenship. The Company estimates that Armenia would receive $138 million of additional revenue in the next six years, if it implements the suggested investment for the citizenship program.
According to hetq.am, Arton Capital recommended that “Armenia offer potential investors two options: a $50,000 direct contribution to a state-owned fund or a $100,000 investment in a fund run by an asset management company chosen by the government, which would offer the possibility of some return. It further suggests that Armenia sets two types of fees. The first would be a non-refundable processing fee of up to $10,000; the second fee, the amount of which is not specified, would cover background checks into applicants’ records and sources of income.”
Arton Capital’s trip report on Armenia “highlights the country’s positives, such as its strong ties to global economic hubs and its geographic and cultural proximity to strategic markets. Armenia offers investors access to Russia and almost all the post-Soviet states, which means around 250 million potential consumers, including in Central Asia – plus almost 82 million more in neighboring Iran, with which the country has friendly relations. And if the country achieves visa-free access to the Schengen zone, which it might in five to seven years, it could justly claim to have recreated its historic role as a stop on the Silk Road linking east and west. As a whole, investors looking for long-term value can be sold on the advantages of Armenia. With [visa-free access] to 60+ countries and its special relationship with Russia together with its geographical proximity with Iran, obtaining an Armenian citizenship will be seen not only as a means to secure one’s future and security, but also as a strategic move for one’s business development and positioning.”
Significantly, hetq.am cautioned in its article that some foreigners interested in investing in other countries for the sake of acquiring citizenship can bring with them all sorts of illegal activities, such as tax evasion, money laundering, corruption and organized crime.
Armenian government officials have to balance the benefits of the investment for citizenship program with its drawbacks. Foreign applicants have to be thoroughly vetted before being granted Armenian citizenship in return for their investments.
Update on Armenian-American Candidates in US Elections
In addition to the list of Armenian-American candidates in the U.S. midterm elections that I reported in an earlier article, we should add:
— Dick Harpootlian (Democrat) was elected to the South Carolina State Senate on November 6, 2018. He won 52.3% of the votes against his Republican rival Benjamin Dunn’s 47.6%.
— Anthony Brindisi (Democrat) was elected a Member of Congress from upstate New York on Nov. 6, 2018, according to the final count of the vote. Brindisi’s great grandparents were born in Mardin, southeastern Turkey and fled during the Armenian Genocide to Aleppo, Syria, where his grandfather was born. As of January 2019, there will be three Armenian-Americans in the U.S. House of Representatives: Brindisi, Eshoo, and Speier.