According to the Education Act of the Republic of Armenia, political and religious propaganda in educational institutions, providing halls for such purposes and involving teachers’ collectives in this process are banned. While yesterday Serzh Sargsyan, the leader of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) and the President of the Republic of Armenia, sheltering from the heavy rain, held a meeting with residents of the administrative district of Davitashen, Yerevan, in the hall of No. 189 School. In response to a question of www.aravot.am whether the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) would respond to this move of the President, Tigran Mukuchyan, the CEC chairman, said that it was about working hours and the time when the President had preached hadn’t been working. He also added that it referred to the workers of those institutions while they carried out their duties, “Teacher has no right to be engaged in propaganda at classes, convene parents’ meetings and spread propaganda.” So, according to the CEC chairman, Serzh Sargsyan acted in accordance with the law.
We inquired whether it wasn’t a violation of the law again, when the President combined working visits and election campaign, whether it didn’t mean employing state means in party campaign and using administrative resources. “Certainly not,” Tigran Mukuchyan responded.
He also added, “If there is a respective fact concrete and reasoned in that regard, we will discuss and express our position. In the case of your question, there is no concrete or reasoned thing. Working visit is one thing and political propaganda is another thing.”
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Nelly GRIGORYAN
