Georgian Armenians will primarily support current authorities – expe

Georgian Armenians will primarily support current authorities – expert

news.am
September 22, 2012 | 12:51

YEREVAN. – The domestic political situation in Georgia is rather tense
in the lead-up to the country’s parliamentary elections slated for
October 1, Georgian Studies specialist Joni Melikyan said during a
press conference on Saturday.

In response to the query as to the Georgian-Armenian community’s
reaction to the viciousness that was exposed in a Georgian prison,
Melikyan noted that there could have been Armenians among those who
were subjected to such sadism, and the leading Georgian-Armenian
figures have deplored these cruelties and demanded from the
authorities to punish the guilty.

Reflecting on the parliamentary election campaigns in Georgia’s
predominantly-Armenian-populated regions, Melikyan maintained that
such campaigns are virtually non-existent in those areas.

`By and large, the Georgian Armenians will support the current
authorities. Opposition `Georgian Dream’ Party’s positions are not
strong, specifically in [Georgia’s southeastern] Samtskhe-Javakheti
[Province, where most of the population is Armenian],’ Joni Melikyan
stated, and concluded:

`We don’t have a political party in Javakhk [that is, Javakheti]. The
Armenian politicians are represented in different parties, and the
Armenian community plays a small role in the country’s domestic
political processes. The national minorities need to be informed and
have to integrate into the country’s political processes.’

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress