OUT-RIGHT VICTORY IN ETCHMIADZIN

[MosJan]

• Elections to self-government bodies were held in the town of Etchmiadzin on October 19. Three candidates were running for the mayor - Karen Grigoryan, the son of General Manvel Grigoryan, former Armenian MP Hakob Hakobyan and nonpartisan Artak Poghosyan.

   

  The Central Election Commission has reported a high voter turnout. Karen Grigoryan got 12,208 votes, his Republican contender Hakob Hakobyan 6994 and Artak Poghosyan 169 votes.

   

  “Today marks the restoration of our independence and freedom,” General Manvel Grigoryan announced at the central square of Etchmiadzin later in the day when congratulating his son on the victory.

   

  Note, A1+ has been in all polling stations and registered no major incidents and cases of inaccuracies. On the whole, the election was held in a friendly atmosphere. The ordinary routine was violated by Hakob Hakobyan’s proxy Susanna Harutyunyan who had managed to be in all 23 polling stations.

   

  “She kicks up a fuss in all polling stations!” the proxies complained to A1+. Susanna Harutyunyan “was giving lessons” to everyone inside the precinct. She explained voters their rights, the order of voting and the duties of chairmen. She also reminded A1+ that we had no right to shoot the vote without the chairman’s permission.

   

  “What is the use of fussing about?” we asked Susanna Harutyunyan. In reply to our question Mrs. Harutyunyan said, “See how quiet it is in here. If I didn’t shout they wouldn’t calm down.”

[MosJan]

so Pepo did not get his wish

[MosJan]

'PRO-OPPOSITION' GENERAL'S SON WINS LOCAL ELECTION

• http://www.armtown.com/img/photo/rfe_en_200810204.jpg
  
  A son of Manvel Grigorian, a top Armenian army general fired last spring for his presumed links with the opposition, was elected mayor of the southern town of Echmiadzin on Sunday, defeating a candidate of the ruling Republican Party (HHK). According to preliminary official results of the election, Karen Grigorian, garnered almost 60 percent of the vote. His controversial rival, Hakob Hakobian, got 34 percent. Hakobian is a businessman and member of the HHK who represented an Echmiadzin constituency in parliament until 2007. He lost his parliament seat in the May 2007 elections after the HHK decided to back another pro-government candidate. HHK lawmakers had earlier voted to allow law-enforcement authorities to prosecute him on charges of assault and fraud. Hakobian, better known as "Choyt," never went to prison or even stood trial, however. Observers believe the party led by President Serzh Sarkisian decided to renew its support for the controversial businessman in order to reduce the retired general's influence in Echmiadzin and surrounding villages. Manvel Grigorian was dismissed as deputy defense minister and forced to retire from the Armenian military by outgoing President Robert Kocharian on April 2. The sacking came just over two weeks after Sarkisian said that the general "tried to get into politics and disobey the commander-in-chief" in the wake of the February 19 presidential election. Levon Ter-Petrosian, the main opposition presidential candidate, claimed to have secured the backing of Grigorian and another deputy defense minister, Gurgen Melkonian, as he began on February 21 a campaign of non-stop rallies against the official results of the disputed election. Both generals were conspicuously absent from Kocharian's meeting two days later with the top army brass during which he ordered the Armed Forces to thwart what he called an opposition attempt at coup d'etat. Grigorian insisted in a May statement that he did not back Ter-Petrosian before or after the election. The general was more ambiguous on that score as he spoke to RFE/RL in Echmiadzin's central square on Monday. When asked whether he has ever supported or participated in Ter-Petrosian's opposition movement, he said: "The movement is the people's, it's not anyone's property." "I'm with the people," Grigorian said when pressed on his political leanings. He said Armenians should "stand firm" in their pursuit of justice but did not elaborate. Grigorian was also asked whether his son's election win could make him more active in the political arena. "I'm already active. If you don't believe me, you can ask Choyt. I got engaged with him last night," he said, prompting a laughter from loyalists surrounding him. Karen Grigorian, meanwhile, told RFE/RL that his victory set an important precedent for future local elections in Armenia. Those polls have usually be won by HHK-candidates not least because of voter apathy and a lack of opposition interest. (Photolur photo)
• By Anush Martirosian