OPPOSITION ELECTION CANDIDATES ‘ATTACKED’ IN YEREVAN
Ruzanna Stepanian
16.04.2012
Armenia – Samvel Aleksanian, a businessman and parliament deputy,
attends an election campaign rally in Yerevan’s Malatia-Sebastia
district, 16 Apr 2012.
Three opposition activists running for parliament were reportedly
assaulted by government loyalists on Sunday as they campaigned in a
Yerevan constituency that has long been controlled by a millionaire
businessman backed by the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK).
The activists said they were surrounded by a group of men inside
an apartment block while handing out booklets and leaflets urging
residents of the city’s Malatia-Sebastia district to vote for Nikol
Pashinian, a prominent member of the main opposition Armenian National
Congress (HAK).
Pashinian, who is also the editor of the “Haykakan Zhamanak” daily,
is running in a local single-mandate electoral district against
Samvel Aleksanian, one of Armenia’s richest men who has represented
the constituency in the National Assembly for the past decade.
“Shouting abuse, a group of young men told us, ‘Don’t stick your
noses in here. Who do you think you are? We are Republicans and we
have our candidate,'” one of the HAK activists, Gayane Arustamian,
told RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am) “They then swore at us,
demanded that we get out, and punched and slapped me in the head. I
was taken by surprise.”
“When Babken [Garoyan] interfered to stop them, they pulled him away,
dragged him downstairs and started beating him,” Arustamian said. “He
was beaten up brutally.”
Amateur video images posted on the Internet showed bloody injuries
on Garoyan’s face. According to Arustamian, he suffered a broken nose
and required hospitalization.
A spokeswoman for the Office of the Prosecutor-General, Sona Truzian,
told RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am) on Monday that the
Armenian police have opened a criminal case in connection with the
incident. She said the investigation is conducted under an article of
the Criminal Code that applies to violent attacks resulting in light
injuries. No arrests were immediately reported by law-enforcement
authorities.
Arustamian, Garoyan and the third activist, Zoya Tadevosian, are
among candidates fielded by the HAK under the system of proportional
representation.
The incident took place shortly after Pashinian himself was confronted
in another Malatia-Sebastia neighborhood by several dozen angry women
sympathetic to Aleksanian. They denounced the HAK’s activities and
demanded that Pashinian stop campaigning in the area. The outspoken
oppositionist politely argued with them for more than 30 minutes
before leaving the scene.
Armenia – “Haykakan Zhamanak” editor Nikol Pashinian addresses an
opposition rally in Yerevan, 31May2011.xArmenia – “Haykakan Zhamanak”
editor Nikol Pashinian addresses an opposition rally in Yerevan,
31May2011.
â~@~Kâ~@~KPashinian claimed on Monday that Aleksanian organized
and sent the women in an attempt to disrupt his campaign. “Samvel
Aleksanian is pushing forward women,” he told a news conference. “Now
I’m saying, ‘Samvel, let’s come face to face and talk like men in front
of our voters. Do not send women and hide behind their backs. Samvel,
let’s debate.'”
“This an election, this is politics, this is not about importing sugar,
this is not about producing counterfeit vodka, this is not about
fooling consumers,” he said, referring to the tycoon’s controversial
business activities.
The HAK leadership also pointed the finger at Aleskanian and demanded
that the police prosecute those responsible for the violence. In a
statement, the opposition alliance also said that the incidents made
mockery of government pledges to ensure the freedom and fairness of
the May 6 elections.
Aleksanian denied any involvement in both incidents, however. A
written statement issued by his campaign headquarters claimed that
the local women were “spontaneously” angered by Pashinian’s leaflets
“disrespectful” towards the tycoon.
The leaflets referred to Aleksanian as “Lfik Samo,” a derogatory
nickname with which the media-shy tycoon is better known to the
public. They pointed out that he has never made a statement on
the parliament floor and been absent from more than 73 percent of
parliament sessions held over the past decade.
Aleksanian lives in Malatia-Sebastia and owns many businesses there.
His companies also enjoy what many economic analysts regard as a de
facto monopoly on imports of key foodstuffs to Armenia.
The working-class district has long been notorious for election-related
trouble. It was the scene of the largest number of irregularities that
were reported by the Armenian opposition, mass media and independent
observers during municipal elections held in Yerevan two years ago.
Two local election commission officials and another government
loyalist were jailed for vote rigging in the aftermath of the 2009
elections. They were set free shortly afterwards in accordance with
a general amnesty declared by the authorities.
Aleskanian is running for reelection as a candidate of the HHK.
President Serzh Sarkisian, who heads the ruling party, campaigned
in Malatia-Sebastia and urged its residents to vote for the tycoon
last week.
http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article/24549916.html