Ankara: Architect Of ‘genocide’ Denial Bill Re-Elected To French Par

ARCHITECT OF ‘GENOCIDE’ DENIAL BILL RE-ELECTED TO FRENCH PARLIAMENT

Today’s Zaman
June 18 2012
Turkey

Valerie Boyer, who drafted the “Armenian genocide” bill which was
approved by the French National Assembly last December and which
brought bilateral relations between Turkey and France to the breaking
point, has been elected to parliament again.

French Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) deputy Boyer won the second
round of parliamentary elections which took place in France on Sunday.

Boyer, who is the first candidate fielded by the Bouches du Rhone
region, came out ahead of Socialist candidate Christophe Mass by
receiving 50.65 percent of the vote, compared to Mass’ 49.35 percent.

During the first round, Boyer received 26.14 percent of the vote,
coming in behind Mass, who garnered 32.04 percent. Boyer, who is from
the Bouches du Rhone region where Armenians make up the majority of
the population, was able to win the support of the far right during
the second round of elections.

Boyer, who introduced the “Armenian genocide” denial bill in the French
parliament, shed tears of joy after it was approved by the French
Senate in January. After France’s Constitutional Council overturned
the controversial bill, which criminalizes denials of claims that 1.5
million Armenians perished in a systematic genocide campaign carried
out by the Ottoman Empire, in February, Boyer declared in a written
statement that she would continue her efforts for the “genocide denial”
bill to be accepted and approved in the new parliament.

Meanwhile, Jean-Philippe Maurer, the regional parliamentary candidate
from the Bas-Rhin region and vice president of the Franco-Turkish
Friendship Group, lost to Socialist candidate Philippe Bies. Maurer
received 47.75 percent of the vote to Bies’ 52.25 percent.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress