As we have already informed, the conference of the Journalists’ Union took place today and Astghik Gevorgyan, the president of the union for 40 years, who had been in office since 1977 left the union. A new president, Satik Seyranyan was elected.
The conference took place in an atmosphere of controversy. In a mess, Astghik Gevorgyan proposed Dean of the YSU Faculty of Journalism Naghash Martirosyan to preside the conference. He had just climbed on stage, when Lavrenti Mirzoyan complained, addressing to everyone in the hall whether they agreed Naghash Martirosyan to preside the conference. Martirosyan continued to preside the conference, inviting the Audit Committee to submit its report. Lavrenti Mirzoyan was puzzled: “And this is considered to be a conference of journalists?”. Naghash Martirosyan said he was glad their students were not present at the conference.
Union member Lavrenti Mirzoyan announced that the conference was a gross violation of the law, and that he would not take part in it. Then he left.
Naghash Martirosyan assured that this is a new beginning, and the activities of the Union of Journalists will enter a new phase.
When Satik Seyranyan’s candidacy as president of the union was presented, a young man, Harutyun Tsatryan protested stating that he wanted to propose his own candidacy. It turned out that he was a PhD student at YSU, and had no right for that, according to the charter, because he had been a member of the union for only 3 years.
Satik Seyranyan presented what she was going to do, how she imagined the work of the union etc. Satik Seyranyan promised that she would work to make the structure authoritative, as now the union is like a comedy club, if taxi drivers knew where the union was, now nobody knows where it is and what it does. Satik Seyranyan presented the composition of the board, who were elected by votes. Roland Sharoyan, Zaven Khachikyan, Artyom Yerkanyan, Naghash Martirosyan, Grigor Janikyan, Zara Aramyan and Marietta Makaryan are in the board.
Members of the Union unanimously stated how much undeveloped the union was, one of them even mocked that they still send birthday congratulation cards by mail, like in Communists’ times. These people are aware neither of e-mail, nor of new technologies.
Satik Seyranyan was elected president by 57 votes for and 1 against. Harutyun Tsatryan received no votes.
