Tweet
HETQonline
Breaking with Tradition
April 9, 2007
See also: A Disagreeable Precedent, Villagers' Struggle Ends in Victory
http://www.hetq.am/eng/politics/0704-norab ak-2.html
The man pictured here is Vazgen Asatryan, a resident of the village of
Norabak in the Gegharkunik Marz. On March 4, 2007 he was a candidate in the
extraordinary election of the head of the village administration. He lost,
as a result of numerous violations of the law before and during the
election. He went to court to defend his rights and those of the people who
had voted for him. On March 14, 2007 the Court of First Instance of
Vardenis, Judge A. Petrosyan, presiding, heard the testimony of the parties,
studied Resolution # 23/1 of the Election Commission, and recounted the
ballots. Then the court ruled to pronounce Vazgen Asatryan the winner of the
Norabak election. The ruling stated that "the verdict enters into force from
the moment of publication and cannot be appealed."
On March 15th the Election Commission of Precinct #23 of the Gegharkunik
Marz sent a memorandum to Governor A. Grigoryan of Gegharkunik which reads,
"We inform you that by the March 14, 2007 ruling by the Court of First
Instance of Vardenis, Vazgen Hrachik Asatryan was pronounced the winner of
the election of the head of the village administration of Norabak." The memo
is signed by the chairman of the Election Commission # 23, S. Badalyan.
On March 23rd the same commission issued an ID card for the head of the
village administration in the name of Vazgen Asatryan.
Everything seemed to be going according to the law, except that since he
received the memo on March 15th to this day, the Gegharkunik governor has
failed to present Vazgen Asatryan to the community, thus preventing him from
assuming his post.
Vazgen Asatryan's election, i.e. the people's vote of confidence, may not
please the Gegharkunik governor, or someone of higher rank, but the Norabak
election is irreversible. With this realization, various officials have
begun trying to persuade Vazgen Asatryan to give up his mandate and stand in
new elections.
But Vazgen Asatryan and his supporters, with whom we have met many times,
have no intention of giving in. "The village has made its choice, and if we
give in we'll have to leave Norabak," they say.
It looks certain that after a long and persistent struggle Vazgen Asatryan
will eventually assume his duties. What his opponents are struggling with is
not the man himself but the break with tradition.
Because the people of Norabak have broken with the sacred tradition of city
mayors', heads of local communities', and other officials' being appointed
under the guise of elections.
The Court of First Instance of Vardenis in its turn has broken with another
sacred tradition of humbly and obediently carrying out the will of the
executive power.
After this, I suppose, the regional prosecutor's office will have to break
with the sacred tradition of covering everything up and will bring an action
against the precinct election commission for all the violations that
guaranteed the opponent's alleged advantage.
This series of breaks with tradition would not bother the authorities so
much if it weren't taking place just two months before parliamentary
elections.
Tigran Paskevichyan
Breaking with Tradition
April 9, 2007
See also: A Disagreeable Precedent, Villagers' Struggle Ends in Victory
http://www.hetq.am/eng/politics/0704-norab ak-2.html
The man pictured here is Vazgen Asatryan, a resident of the village of
Norabak in the Gegharkunik Marz. On March 4, 2007 he was a candidate in the
extraordinary election of the head of the village administration. He lost,
as a result of numerous violations of the law before and during the
election. He went to court to defend his rights and those of the people who
had voted for him. On March 14, 2007 the Court of First Instance of
Vardenis, Judge A. Petrosyan, presiding, heard the testimony of the parties,
studied Resolution # 23/1 of the Election Commission, and recounted the
ballots. Then the court ruled to pronounce Vazgen Asatryan the winner of the
Norabak election. The ruling stated that "the verdict enters into force from
the moment of publication and cannot be appealed."
On March 15th the Election Commission of Precinct #23 of the Gegharkunik
Marz sent a memorandum to Governor A. Grigoryan of Gegharkunik which reads,
"We inform you that by the March 14, 2007 ruling by the Court of First
Instance of Vardenis, Vazgen Hrachik Asatryan was pronounced the winner of
the election of the head of the village administration of Norabak." The memo
is signed by the chairman of the Election Commission # 23, S. Badalyan.
On March 23rd the same commission issued an ID card for the head of the
village administration in the name of Vazgen Asatryan.
Everything seemed to be going according to the law, except that since he
received the memo on March 15th to this day, the Gegharkunik governor has
failed to present Vazgen Asatryan to the community, thus preventing him from
assuming his post.
Vazgen Asatryan's election, i.e. the people's vote of confidence, may not
please the Gegharkunik governor, or someone of higher rank, but the Norabak
election is irreversible. With this realization, various officials have
begun trying to persuade Vazgen Asatryan to give up his mandate and stand in
new elections.
But Vazgen Asatryan and his supporters, with whom we have met many times,
have no intention of giving in. "The village has made its choice, and if we
give in we'll have to leave Norabak," they say.
It looks certain that after a long and persistent struggle Vazgen Asatryan
will eventually assume his duties. What his opponents are struggling with is
not the man himself but the break with tradition.
Because the people of Norabak have broken with the sacred tradition of city
mayors', heads of local communities', and other officials' being appointed
under the guise of elections.
The Court of First Instance of Vardenis in its turn has broken with another
sacred tradition of humbly and obediently carrying out the will of the
executive power.
After this, I suppose, the regional prosecutor's office will have to break
with the sacred tradition of covering everything up and will bring an action
against the precinct election commission for all the violations that
guaranteed the opponent's alleged advantage.
This series of breaks with tradition would not bother the authorities so
much if it weren't taking place just two months before parliamentary
elections.
Tigran Paskevichyan