Media Monitoring Digest on 2009 Yerevan Municipal Elections
Media Monitoring Digest on 2009 Yerevan Municipal Elections
Aravot Headline: In or out of the system? Author: Aram Abraamyan It is expected that Armenian National Congress (ANC) will refuse to hold city council members’ posts if it does not gain majority votes during municipal elections. However, as the author states, participating in working process, ANC can use its leverages and control the city authorities not allowing cutting down trees and giving permissions for new illegal constructions. The author thinks that ANC can act like “Heritage” party in National Assembly: having 6 members this party does more things than other fractions together. Having representatives from opposition in the municipality will be very useful. Each opposition (not only in Armenia) should solve the dilemma: to continue staying in the streets or deal with the system and try to change something. ...
Media Monitoring Digest on 2009 Yerevan Municipal Elections
Hayastani Hanrapetutyun Headline: Work without shirking. Author: Alla Serobyan On May 18, 2009 Armenian Republican Party candidates were campaigning in Erebuni community. Main campaign promises were about efficient and effective administration of Yerevan, proportional development of all districts of Yerevan and implementing open door policy in the City Hall after the ARP wins the elections....
Media Monitoring Digest on 2009 Yerevan Municipal Elections
Azg Headline: Election lists were registered for the nominated 6 parties and one coalition (01.05.2009) On April 30 Central Election Commission registered the electoral lists of all 7 political parties. The registered parties are: Armenian Republican Party (176 candidates), Prosperous Armenia (116 candidates), ARF Dashnaktsutyun (50 candidates), Rule of Law party (71 candidates), People’s Party (20 candidates), Armenia’s Labor and Socialist Party “HASK” (29 members), Armenian National Congress (164 members)....
Media Monitoring Digest on 2009 Yerevan Municipal Elections
Aravot Article: I will consider the change in the coalition format as normal (21.04.09) Author (interviewer): Anna Israelyan An interview with Republican Party member Armen Ashotyan addressed the possibility of reshaping the coalition after Yerevan municipality elections. Commenting on the ARF party candidate Artsvik Minasyan’s statement about the ARF’s possible withdrawal from the coalition in case of numerous violations during the election, Ashotyan suggested that the ARF party is using a campaign method of representing itself as an “opposition inside the government” to win votes, and takes it normal the possibility of change in the composition of the coalition....
Media Monitoring Digest on 2009 Yerevan Municipal Elections
Aravot Headline: Are campaign offices legal? (14.04.09) The official pre-election campaign will start on May 2, 2009, however Republican Party (RP) has already opened their campaign offices in Yerevan. A journalist asked Gagik Minasyan, RP representative, and Stepan Safaryan, Heritage Party representative, to clarify whether the establishment of campaign offices is legal. The latter finds it illegal while RP representative have not agreed with him. In addition, Shahnazarov, RP press secretary, said that Electoral Code did not define campaign offices, as well as timeline for pre-election preparation, thus, according to Shahnazarov, one can assume that after the end of any elections one can establish a campaign office and start to prepare for the upcoming ones. He also added that in 2007 CEC made a decision on posters, according to which a poster without any slogans and smaller than seven square meters is not a campaign material and expenses can be made from other than pre-election funds....
Media Monitoring Digest on 2009 Yerevan Municipal Elections
Hayastani Hanrapetutyun Headline: Compared with 2008 the number of oppositional supporters reduced (04.04.09) Aharon Adibekyan, “Sociometer” sociological center director, foresees low participation during Yerevan Municipal elections and explains that the citizens will be busy out of town, in their gardens. He also stated that according to a survey conducted by their organization, public is not aware of the mayor’s and city council’s responsibilities and rights. Sociologist thinks that the mayor would be Levon Zurabyan, the third in the Armenian National Congress (HAK), if the coalition wins the elections and that the first president is only a trap for voters. However, according to her, opposition is not able to gain more votes than it got in 2008 presidential elections. He also mentioned that they would be able to talk in figures after April-May surveys....
Media Monitoring Digest on 2009 Yerevan Municipal Elections
Aravot Article: “100 percent list”, where does it come from? (31.03.09) Author: Naira Mamikonyan The author reports that Levon Zurabyan, the coordinator of Armenian National Congress (ANC), in his interview with Aravot told that they got numerous complains from Yerevan citizens who are forced to sign lists which will ensure their votes in favor to Gagik Beglaryan, Republican Party member. The author goes on stipulating that the above actions are useless as citizens would give their vote for party and not for a particular candidate. Aravot asked Eduard Shahnazarov, Republican Party press secretary, to clarify the news in circulation. Shahnazarov negated the news and told that the party would start their campaign according to timelines stipulated by law....
Media Monitoring Digest on 2009 Yerevan Municipal Elections
Hayastani Hanrapetutyun Headline: CEC starts registration of candidates (17.03.09) Author: Alla Serobyan On March 17 Central Electoral Commission (CEC) announced the start of nomination of party and bloc lists for Yerevan Municipal Elections. The deadline for submitting necessary documents is March 22, 18:00. Some political forces already announced the names of candidates who would lead their list, though the author mentions that lists are not final. As it is known, the Republican Party list will lead Gagik Beglaryan, Prosperous Armenia list is leading Haroutyun Kushkyan, the minister of healthcare. After long negotiations Armenian National Congress (ANC) made a decision that Levon Ter-Petrosyan, the first RA President will be at the top of the electoral roll in the May 31 Yerevan council members’ elections....
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