Says Mesrop Mesropyan, the representative of his pre-election headquarters
On February 12, the election for mayor will take place in Hrazdan. Three candidates were announced and already registered for that election, current Republican mayor Aram Danielyan, oppositionist and former prisoner of conscience Sasun Mikayelyan, the commander of “Sasun” unit and a former National Assembly member, and adviser to the current mayor Hovhannes Prtavyan.
Aravot talked with Sasun Mikayelyan’s comrade-in-arms, responsible for propaganda and information of his pre-election headquarters Mesrop Mesropyan.
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– Next week the pre-election campaign for mayor candidates will officially commence. How do you assess the pre-election atmosphere in Hrazdan?
– We are in pre-election atmosphere already, although the campaign will officially commence on January 25. Candidates are already registered and we are entering the pre-election period itself. In a few days the campaign will start and we are going to conduct a normal and skillful campaign in our capacity and we hope that a normal mayor election will be held.
– Do you think that it is possible to hold a normal election, given the fact that the candidates have already said a few unpleasant words addressing each other, given the fact that there is information on using administrative leverage by the authorities already on this very day and that the governor of Kotayk and the current mayor have stated about winning by a big margin or “interval.”
– What people you mentioned stated is their problem. Certainly, it would be better, if they were more modest and did everything, according to the law. However, I believe that, nonetheless, it is possible to hold a normal election. My conviction is based on bitter experience of previous elections that proved to every one of us that it is not possible to build a state and solve problems of the town in this manner, that it leads us along a stony road. I think starting with the president of the country and ending with all other officials must be interested in holding a normal election in Hrazdan, because it is an election immediately preceding the upcoming general election. They must be able to prove in at least cosmetic sense that they have the will and are inclined to form an administration in the way of normal election and legitimize their power and strengthen the positions of our country.
– Nonetheless, it is said about using administrative leverage, putting residents of Hrazdan under pressure, about threats. Are there such facts?
– You know, Hrazdan is comparably small town and everyone knows each other. Every day we hear different kinds of information how the head of an organization tries to influence his inferior or what measures are taken in schools and kindergartens. Yes, the authorities generally try to concentrate the administrative leverage in hand and influence the election results, but since I am sure, fortunately or unfortunately, the current mayor has worked so badly during the past years that there is a big disappointment in him among the residents of Hrazdan, I think, however they try to use that administrative leverage or achieve anything through election bribe and black technology, they will not succeed. I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but as a result of my conversations with people, I have an internal conviction that we will surely win, even if they give election bribe and use black technology.
– Do you hope that the authorities will realize that they cannot rig elections for the sake of the country’s future or they will not do that before the upcoming National Assembly election? However, there is information that the authorities gave absolute discretion to the governor of Kotayk and the mayor of Hrazdan to guarantee the victory of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) candidate by any means, guaranteeing which will be a kind of test for the governor in particular and will predetermine the issue of his holding the office further.
– If the governor is a representative of RPA, he is the leader of that team in the region, according to that logic, it is natural that he must do everything, in order that the candidate they support wins. However, if we look at a bigger picture, the problems existing in the country and the challenges facing our state and people, both the governor and higher-ranking state officials must have the courage to give up fraud, the new technology aiming at their reproduction and let normal election be held locally. We are entering for this electoral struggle and tomorrow for the National Assembly election not against anyone, but for the sake of our country. I don’t think that the situation is like exceptionally bad people work among the authorities or exceptionally good people among the opposition. Please, understand me correctly, I want to be a realist. At the end of the day, our current president, other officials went through a war and they must give account of themselves one day.
– Are you convinced that the residents of Hrazdan will not elect taking a bribe or the number of such voters will not be big?
– The experience of the previous election on a national scale showed that there was an electorate that votes taking bribe everywhere. However today the situation in Hrazdan is absolutely different and the experience of previous years also proved many things to those voters who take bribe. I am convinced that the attitude of the residents of Hrazdan toward the election will be different today, given the personality of the main competitor of the current mayor, namely Sasun Mikayelyan. Sasun proved by the life he has lived that his words and deeds have never differed from each other and he is a respected politician in Hrazdan.
– Sasun Mikayelyan’s competitor, the current mayor stated that they would win by a big margin, what are your candidate’s chances, in your opinion?
– I think our advantage will be big, by thousand and more votes’ margin.
Interviewed NAIRA MAMIKONYAN
