Schoolteachers ‘Forced’ To Attend Pashinian’s Concert In Gyumri

Joined by professional musicians, Pashinian and his self-styled pop band performed at the open-air concert in the city’s central square in a clear effort to drum up and/or showcase public support for him ahead of the parliamentary elections slated for June 7.

The premier arrived in the capital of Armenia’s northwestern Shirak province in a motorcade of hundreds of cars carrying his loyalists. The square was only about half full during the show, however, leading Pashinian’s political opponents and some media to conclude that most Gyumri residents ignored the publicity stunt one year after voting to end Civil Contract’s control of their municipality.

An RFE/RL correspondent saw many local government officials from other parts of the country in the crowd. According to Akanates (Witness), an independent group specializing in election monitoring, the spectators also included staff from public schools and kindergartens in Akhurian, a small town just east of Gyumri.

Akanates claimed that they were ordered by Civil Contract’s Gyumri branch to attend the event. Its coordinator, Meri Minasian, on Monday based the claim on the groups “direct monitoring” as well as information received from multiple sources not disclosed by her.

“We have information from several sources about people’s organized participation in the event,” Minasian told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.

Davit Arushanian, the Shirak governor and the ruling party’s regional election campaign manager, flatly denied the Akanates claims. He argued, in particular, that the Civil Contract chapter in Gyumri does not cover Akhurian.

“There was no such coercion or pressure,” insisted Hayk Rushanian, who runs one of Akhurian’s three schools.

Rushanian admitted that he went to Pashinian’s concert together with his schoolteachers, students and their parents.

Pashinian and his party have for years been accused of illegally forcing public sector employees to attend their campaign rallies or other gatherings. They have always denied that.

Armenian law-enforcement authorities are only known to have prosecuted opposition figures on corresponding charges. Billionaire Samvel Karapetian’s opposition movement, which is expected to be Civil Contract’s main election challenger, has been on the receiving end of such criminal proceedings in recent months. As recently as on Monday, police rounded up 22 people in the northern Lori province on suspicion of attending or having others attend a pro-Karapetian rally in Yerevan for money or under duress. They all were set free without charge.

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