A few days ago, www.aravot.am was warned by opposition politicians that Samvel Balasanyan, the deputy speaker of the National Assembly, had been handing out barley to the population of the villages in his electoral district. Yerazgavors, Bayandur, Gharibjanyan, Getk and Akhurik, the headwoman of which, Varditer Gasparyan, is also an MP candidate in the 217th place on the RPA list, were among the villages pointed out.
First of all, we tried to confirm this information from villagers, who confirmed it, adding that barley had been handed out to, as they put it, “smart guys,” who, hearing about the charity at that moment, had come to the village and presented their passports. According to the residents of Akhurik, they hadn’t heard any propaganda from people, who had handed out barley off a truck, they hadn’t mentioned at all, from whom it was, they had just distributed spontaneously to anyone, in the end, it turned out that 150 sacks for the village were lacking. By the way, 40 kilograms – i.e. one sack – were intended for each member of a family.
Since people, who warned us, claimed that barley had been handed out by the RPA headmen, we talked with them too. In response to our question whether it was accurate that she, an RPA candidate, had been handing out MP candidate Samvel Balasanyan’s barley, village headwoman Varditer Gasparyan said, “I wish our villagers had also gotten this barley, we would have accepted it with pleasure. But I have seen or heard nothing. Perhaps their supporters have been handing out in the village.” In response to our observation that in other village administrations headmen themselves handed out, the woman said, “Perhaps they thought I was a candidate too, therefore, they didn’t venture to approach.”
According to the villagers’ claims, while they were clarifying the list in the village administration of Akhurik to whom they should give and to whom not, Balasanyan’s people had decided to bring the barley personally, with their own hands.
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We talked on the barley topic also with Manvel Poghosyan, the headman of the village of Gharibjanyan, who proudly clarified, “Yes, Balasanyan hands out barley for our village. Their supporters hand out, but certainly, the officials at the village administration help, coordinate, otherwise, how would those people know our villagers?” In response to a question of www.aravot.am whether he didn’t perceive that as election bribe, the headman seemed to get annoyed, “No, and you know why, because we have asked, applied to Balasanyan. And they have decided to help villagers. He doesn’t do anything bad, he just eases the burden of the villagers. The villagers didn’t have seeds. Didn’t he establish an anti-hail station before the election? He did us a favor worth 6 million. Our village was not included in his electoral district at the time, it has just been included. We haven’t even seen our MP (he means Mkhitar Varagyan – N. A.). Every villager has gotten some, no one complains. Let me say another thing, there was no word about the election, they just humanely helped the villagers.”
In response to our question what party he was a member of, whether he was a member of the RPA, Manvel Poghosyan said, “I am not a member of any party, I am non-partisan.” Let us mention that Balasanyan’s barley lacked not only in Akhurik, but also in other villages – not everyone got it, which was another reason for discontent.
Nune AREVSHATYAN
