LOCAL ELECTION 2008 What’s Inside New elections amendments neither “free” nor “fair” Page 2 Protecting the environment? Page 3 THIS MONTH Why women aren’t running for local posts D i s t r i b u t e d i n c o o p e r a t i o n w i t h A r m e n i a n n e w s p a p e r s Page 6 Aravot, Noyan Tapan, Ban u gorts, Vorotan, Syunyats Yerkir, Vanadzoryan Khchankar, Sevan, Shrjapat, Shrjadardz, Tufashkharhi Arorya Who is monitoring local elections? OCTOBER Page 7

Dear readers,

When you go to the voting booth this October, what can you realistically demand from your local leaders?

Quite a lot, it turns out. While it’s easy for national politicians to dodge responsibility for many of the problems you face every day, local leaders have more clear-cut duties. Think of them as your personal representa- tives. In this second of two election guides, we aim to show you specifically what you should expect from local politicians.

Possibly the most clear-cut problem in local leaders’ hands is trash collection and clean- ing public parks – if they aren’t doing their job, its quite obvious to everyone (pages 1, 4 and 5). Other subjects are a bit less clear: how can local leaders can best develop the local economy, for example? The answer is to focus less on attracting rich investors and more on encouraging small and medium sized businesses (page 3). Protecting the environment also has a local angle, particu- larly when it comes to sounding the alarm on the potential dangers of chemical and other industrial spills, among other environmental threats (page 3).

In this issue, we also want to keep you abreast of the latest political developments. Read how the Arabkir violence during Sept. 7’s election day is following a national pattern (page 7). And who is watching for election fraud? Not as many organizations as the Central Election Commission would have you believe (page 7). As well, learn how two new amendments to the electoral code now being debated in parliament could even fur- ther limit your chances for a fair election (page 2). And read why even at the very local DIRTYDIRTY level, women are having trouble entering pol- itics (page 6).

The bottom line? Your community leaders WORKWORK should be your community’s advocates. If they fail to grasp the current reality when cre- Photo by Anahit Hayrapetyan/Amnewsservice.org Photo by ating policy, consider casting your vote for another candidate. Are your local leaders keeping your community clean? (pages 4-5) Best Regards, Amnewsservice.org Making the Best of Bad Choices Most contested mayoral races based on clan rivalry, not policy By Gayane Abrahamyan Despite the fact that international observers ArmeniaNow.com have given improving marks for elec- tions, there are few legitimate challengers willing It wasn’t until parliamentary candidate Larisa to face the gun-toting clan style warfare that Paremuzyan’s apartment door was set on fire the characterizes contested electoral races. From night before the May 2007 parliamentary elections the March 2007 gangland-style assassination that she was finally convinced running for election attempt on Mayor Vardan Ghukasyan to in Armenia was a battle for life or death – literally. submachine gun blasts and factory fires in the “If I hadn’t woken up, I would have been a holy city of Echmiadzin up through the post- dead woman. Beatings and threats have become presidential election fatalities of March 1, an election fixture,” said Paremuzyan, a former Armenian voters are left with two choices, nei- parliamentary and Alaverdi mayoral candidate. ther of them particularly palatable: Page 7 Photo by Photolure

To see our last issue visit Local leaders often dream of rich foreign investor rather Supporting the wrong candidate www.amnewsservice.org can hurt you -- and Armenia than help local businesses to grow Page 2 2 LOCAL ELECTIONS 2008 OCTOBER New Election Laws May Encourage Election Fraud, Not Limit It

By Sara Khojoyan in monitoring election systems, Hambardzumyan downplayed “And though we have ignorant and under pressure to pass the law, as ArmeniaNow.com including the International the seriousness of the perceived suppressed precinct members now, they’ve long missed the required Federation of Election Systems conflict of interest, contending that with this new law, we may have lit- legislative deadline of 2007 to cre- Two election code amendments (IFES), and OSCE, as well as the truly secret voting allows teachers erate and equally suppressed ones ate it. being hotly debated now in parlia- chair of the Central Election and civil servants to stay indepen- later.” Yet those working closely cau- ment will not only fail to make the Commission. dent. The new amendments package tion that the draft law is still “raw,” elections process more transparent Some believe that limiting elec- “One can promise a representa- also includes suggestions made by and though it probably will be voted - they have the potential to increase tion commission membership to tive of the authorities that you will Its Your Choice prohibiting voting on before the end of the year, new corruption in an already deeply teachers and civil servants may vote for them, but you are alone in using the same-colored pens and elections won’t be called until mid- flawed election system. pose a direct threat to election trans- the voting booth,” he contended, bringing people to precincts by or late 2009. One proposal would change the parency, as they are in a position to adding, “And the oppositional buses and minibuses, common “The law still needs to be wide- members of precinct election com- receive the most direct pressure to movement that has started during strong-arm tactics used in prior ly discussed before the second missions from individuals appointed vote pro-government from their the presidential elections has made elections. reading,” said Davit Harutyunyan, by parliamentary parties to only employers – the state, or in this people more willing to speak out, Opposition members argue that chairman of the Standing teachers and civil servants. case, the ruling Republican Party. even if they lose their jobs.” it doesn’t matter how much the Committee for State and Legal The other would abolish the 12 “We see cases of administrative The task group has suggested code is changed. It’s not the law Affairs. We still need to discuss this district councils and community resource abuses, we see teachers, applying strict penalties to punish that’s the problem, they say, but that with Council of Europe experts, and heads in , instead creating state servants or employees from fraudulent behavior by stripping those who clearly violate the law on there should be public hearings. one new 65-member council state financed enterprises being state employees of their right to behalf of the powerful go unpun- These are substantial reasons to appointed by the political parties forcefully brought to meetings, work in their profession for a lifetime ished. delay the adoption of the law.” that receive the most votes. The forced to take part in campaigns … if they are caught. “The acting Electoral Code The draft law suggests that the concept is intended to create an so their presence in commissions “This is a kind of deterrence to does not say a representative can mayor be elected indirectly through “elected” mayor, who would be will mean those people will remain keep these people from becoming be beaten up, kidnapped, or extra party elections. Rather than the selected by the winning political under the influence,” said stooges and breaking the law,” said ballots can be printed, and stuffed, voters from each of Yerevan’s 12 party. Kostanyan. Hambardzumyan, though he so the problem is not the code,” districts electing the individuals “These amendments will give “People are in fact fearful of los- believes the lifetime penalty is too said Arman Musinyan, press sec- that they chose, the draft law birth to entirely new areas of cor- ing jobs and will definitely be under strict. retary of the opposition leader would create a council comprised ruption,” said Amalia Kostanyan, pressure,” she continued. Evelina Voskanyan, an experi- Levon Ter-Petrosyan, calling the of 65 councilors elected via party head of Armenia’s Transparency Perhaps surprisingly, one task enced secondary school teacher new amendments nothing more list, with the number one person on International Anti-Corruption force member, Harutyun and election commission member in substantial than a “magician’s illu- the list of the winning party serving Center. Hambardzumyan, chairman of Its the Hayanist village in Ararat sion.” as mayor. The new amendments are part Your Choice, a prominent voter province, has mixed feelings about “This code has already been The risk here, said Kostanyan, of a package to be added to the right’s group, is in favor of limiting the ruling and just what behavior amended several times, because is that the lack of check and bal- 2005 electoral code, drafted by a election commissions to state the strict penalties will reinforce. they try to blame the falsified elec- ance means that resources will be task group appointed by the employees. “It’s good on the one side, tions on the laws and not the rule of even more abused than usual. Republican-dominated partliament. “Party representatives seem because teachers and civil servants law,” agreed Suren Surenyants, “Of course, oligarchs and local Legislators are expected to vote more interested in defending their are literate people. Very frequently, member of the opposition Republic authorities may also abuse before the end of the year on the party’s interest and not so much in commission members appointed by Party. resources, but the parties, as we new amendments, sometime during providing legal and fair elections,” parties are people who hardly know Also on the table for the parlia- have seen during the past elections, the fall session that started in he said. “That was the reason we how to hold a pen straight in their ment’s fall session will be the draft exceed the limits far more aggres- September. decided to have civil servants serve hand,” she said. law on reorganizing Yerevan voting sively and openly than anyone else, The task group includes one as commission members, and “But on the other hand, natural- districts to allow the Yerevan mayor using state information, financial representative from each of the five because there are few civil servants ly, authorities can pressure commis- to be elected rather than appointed, and other resources. Under the new political parties represented in par- in villages, teachers, which exist in sion members to do what the as stipulated by the 2005 Electoral law the same thing will happen in liament and organizations involved all villages, will fill the gap.” authorities want,” she continued. Code. Lawmakers say that they are Yerevan,” she said.

OCTOBER Mark Your MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY Calendar:

Local elections Local elections in 1 2 Ararat, ,3 4 5 are more impor- Vayots Dzor tant, not less, and Syunik regions. than presidential 6 7 8 or parliament Local elections in 9 10 11 12 Armavir, Lori and elections. Tavush regions. Demand account- 13 14 ability from your 15 16 17 18 19 local leaders, and don’t forget to 20 21 Local Elections in vote during the 22 23 24 25 26 Aragatsotn, local council and Gegharkunik community head and Shirak regions. or mayor’s races 27 28 29 30 31 in your town.

Graphic by Vahe Dionesyan OCTOBER LOCAL ELECTIONS 2008 3

Waiting for Their Prince to Come? Too many local leaders await dream investor, rather than support small business By Gayane Mkrtchyan “Local politicians have a great deal of authori- 17,500 AMD ($58) are decided for each busi- owned, only the leaders of two communities Leah Kohlenberg ty to improve the business environment, but the nessman individually, by, say, the head of com- responded. Amnewsservice.org law does not bind them. The law simply provides munity or together with the local council. If their “If they admit what property the city, town or them with opportunity,” said Karen Gevorgyan, rates become less arbitrary and more standard- village owns, they can be monitored,” said When three Armenian-Americans negotiated head of the Small and Medium Sized ized, truly equal opportunities will be created for Shushanik Doydoyan, FOIC director. “So they the rights to sell a certain well-known name brand Entrepeneurship Development Center, created entrepreneurs,” said Tadevosyan. choose to keep silent.” clothing line in Yerevan last year, they thought and funded by the state government. One key power – and problem – with local Exacerbating the property problem is that they’d found the perfect location on the corner of It’s an opportunity local political leaders have politicians is connected with how they manage there is no official real estate register showing who Tumanyan and Streets. yet to grasp. Despite the fact that Gevorgyan’s city-owned property. Often, these municipal owns property. In September, the Armenian gov- One of the name-brand company’s require- six-year-old center offers business planning help properties are prime, centrally located real ernment began requiring the new owners in prop- ments was that the shop be located prominently and training, as well as guaranteeing bank loans estate, the most desirable property in town for erty sales to register with the state in order to tax in a well-populated central area in a modern, well- for small and medium-sized businesses, not one small and medium-sized businesses. But few them, but the initiative is just starting. The lack of maintained building. The three negotiated an community head or mayor has ever approached start-up businesses have access to this property a public register not only obscures who really agreement to rent the property from the landlord – the center to help a business start in their com- – unless the owner is a friend of the mayor. owns property, but also discourages investors none other than Gagik Tsarukyan, cement mogul, munity. Instead of making this municipal property avail- from buying into local communities. former world champion arm wrestler and leader of “I think the opportunities are large enough to able to small and medium-sized businesses, “There are many examples of an investor Armenia’s newest political party, Prosperous become catalysts of business development in a councils and community heads either hold onto coming to an Armenian town or city and wanting Armenia. community or a town,” he continued. “But the the property, give it away to friends who may or to buy property, but not being able to because But after they’d signed the contract and paid mayor or the community head is in the best posi- may not be business-minded, or sell it to out-of- there is no clear record of who owns it,” said thousands of dollars to the international clothing tion to identify what businesses could be devel- town or country owners who make only vaguely Mirzoyan. company, Tsarukyan yanked the property back at oped in his community. No one knows the poten- worded promises – if any – to bring industry to Gevorgyan believes integrated programs the last minute, claiming he’d given it to “a friend.” tial of their community better than they, and they the community. need to be developed to increase the role of the That maneuver not only pulled the plug on the should be directly involved in development of The end result is that valuable property is community administrations among businesses. business. The three men, who’d been living in the investment programs themselves.” often transferred into the hands of individuals who “Community members first of all need to be US for 15 years and had wanted to return to According to law, heads of communities are have no incentive to improve it, but will wait for it provided with information, which is not expen- Armenia with their families, decided to stay in their required to draft economic development strate- to become more valuable when others develop sive,” he said. adopted country instead. gies and the local council must vote on them. But the area. And because their properties remain Aida Aghasyan, a two-time candidate for To read Tsarukyan’s and other politicians’ plat- the majority of these strategies lack specifics and decrepit and underutilized, the other development the Etchmiadzin City Council, is running on a forms, voters might think promoting the growth of do not touch upon longer-term development never comes. platform of supporting small businesses, par- small and medium-sized businesses in their com- strategies, such as identifying what real econom- “People in many Armenian communities are ticularly those owned by women. She thinks munities is at the top of their list of priorities. But in ic opportunities currently exist in their communi- waiting for somebody from outside to change their each community is uniquely competitive owing fact, many manage to do the opposite; watch ties, and how to develop those specific opportuni- lives,” said Ashot Mirzoyan, who runs Gyumri’s to its individual available infrastructure, loca- politicians’ actions closely, and you’ll see many ties, according to a brochure on economic devel- City Research Center, an organization trying to tion and other factors, and that it’s up to the actually do things that block economic growth. opment produced by the USAID-funded Local map Gyumri’s historic, cultural and economic local politicians to discover and promote what Whether local leaders are passive, failing to Government Program. potential through it’s existing property. “And now, that community can produce. connect their local communities with much-need- Economist Zoya Tadevosyan, who made an local leaders are waiting for the authorities to help “All these can be best coordinated and ed assistance programs such as loans, whether unsuccessful bid for Yerevan’s them, rather than behaving proactively to support assessed by the head of the community, the they hold onto prime public property or pass it off head position in last month’s election, believes local businesses.” council and the head of province. Investment pro- to influential “individuals” (or give it away to non- local politicians should pass laws that regulate Unfortunately, most local politicians won’t grams should be created to submit to businesses, business minded friends or an out-of-country local duties and payments to encourage small admit what properties are owned by the commu- something that is not done,” she said. investor), or whether they charge expensive and and medium-sized business owners. nity. When the Freedom of Information Center arbitrary local tariffs, potential entrepreneurs suffer “Supporting businesspeople is impossible, (FOIC) recently requested that local leaders dis- -This story contains reporting by Gayane more than they are helped by local politicians. when local duties ranging from paying nothing to close how much property their cities and towns Abrahamyan/ArmeniaNow.com Along with industrial growth comes increasing environmental risk

By Armen Davtyan “I don’t know why we are even “Kapantsiner” periodical talking about the land plots near the newspaper, “Khustup TV” tailing dams. Lately people have been planting crops in these plots, , Armenia - Last year, even though it’s prohibited to culti- one of Armenia’s major mining vate there and the land has been industrial complexes, the Canadian- unused for some time. I think it is owned Deeno Gold Mining wrong to seriously consider the Company, announced that it was research of some incidental NGOs going to nearly triple its ore produc- and sow suspicion amongst the tion. population,” said Levon Petrosyan, That’s welcome news in a region head of Syunik’s environmental pro- where an estimated one third of the tection department population is out of work. But local Yet just two months ago, the government agencies have long National Academy of Sciences’ been slow or downright unrespon- Center of Ecological Research stud- sive to reports of potential health ied the impact of the large industries problems and requests to provide on Kapan’s environment and found funds for environmental clean up of that the soil contained potentially industrial accidents. They seem dangerous amounts of heavy met- content to simply pass the buck to als, mineral waters that have conta- equally unresponsive regional and minated irrigation water, and a dust central government authorities. level that exceeds safe limits, Nothing serious has happened - according to Dr. Armen Saghatelyan, yet. But environmentalists and those who conducted the study. living around big industries are wor- In addition, he said, the level of ried that government officials, in mercury in the soil near Qajaran has their eagerness to promote econom- reached toxic levels, three to six ic growth, will turn a blind eye to times more than what scientists con- environmental contamination. And Anahit Hayrapetyan/Amnewsservice.org Photo by sider is a safe amount. while local officials aren’t authorized Dead Zone: This is an old tailing dam where the Deeno Gold Mine stores it’s processing waste. Environmentalists As well, the Ministry of Nature to fine an enterprise found contami- are worried such chemicals are poisoning the ground and air, and that local officials aren’t vocal enough about it. Protection has never conducted air nating a given community, they can quality monitoring in Syunik, unlike serve as community advocates to one with the highest salaries. age and made additional payments introduced into the soil, but we those tests in other regions, even help navigate the murky reporting “For many it is a dream come to the community budget on top of decided to cultivate our land any- though experts from the department system. true to work at the industrial com- the money Deeno and other enter- way. How else can we provide for have labeled Qajaran, Kapan and In many ways, Syunik serves as plex,” said one of the residents. “If prises already pay in required land ourselves? My grandchild is four, Agark as a risk zone in regard to air a poster child for economic develop- you have a job then you can sur- taxes to help with the cleanup. but has no teeth. They say it is pollution. ment in Armenia’s impoverished vive.” But though the company has because of the radiation,” said The problem, say the environ- regions. In addition to Deeno, two But accidents can and do hap- behaved responsibly, people living Nadya Hambardzumyan, 64, who mentalists, are not the laws them- more factories, including the cop- pen. In August of 2007, a leak in a next to major industrial complexes lives near one of the plants. Even selves – new, stricter environmental per-molybdenum industrial com- Deeno tailing dam - where process- are still nervous, regardless of the her son, an engineer at the Qajaran regulations were adopted by the plexes in Agarak and Qajaran, have ing wastes are collected - damaged positive economic impact. plant, can’t reassure her. Ministry of Nature Protection in restarted operations in the past five 20 hectares of land belonging to 15 “We know that there is radiation Yet regional and even national 2003. But they argue the laws aren’t years. Deeno is the biggest employ- locals in Syunik village. Deeno com- in those places, we also learned that environmental officials dismiss most consistently enforced. er of the three companies, and the pensated the villagers for the dam- poisonous elements have been of these concerns Continued on page 7 4 LOCAL ELECTIONS 2008 OCTOBER Dirty Do Your Local Your Comm Photo by Anahit Hayrapetyan/Amnewsservice.org Photo by Clean dream? Messes like the one pictured above in a Kapan neighborhood in September are all too common and very much demonstrate the failure of local leaders. Town councils and community heads are solely responsible for organizing trash collection and cleaning up public spaces, using money from the local budget.

By Zara Chatinyan Recent amendments to those laws also give local Amnewsservice.org councils and the mayor the power to better monitor service delivery, including imposing fines on those who use the , Armenia – On a Friday afternoon in mid trash collection without paying for it, or those who litter in September when 48-year-old Anahit Ayvazyan, attended a public areas. specially scheduled public meeting on trash collection, “We wanted to make our message clear to our resi- along with 85 neighbors, she had major complaints. dents,” said Nune Petrossyan, a Vayk city councilor who “Garbage disposal is dreadful, and it gets worse will be running for election this fall to defend her incum- especially in the summer time, when we have to burn or bent seat. “The city is committed to improving public ser- bury the garbage in our yard,” Ayvazyan told the coun- vice delivery. We spent resources to obtain a new garbage cil and the mayor’s staff. “Our street is located on a hill truck and developed local regulations that enable us to and the city’s garbage truck is physically unable to better control garbage disposal and impose fines and climb that hill. We haven’t seen the garbage truck make penalties on those residents caught littering our streets a pick-up for a very long time. ” and parks or those who don’t pay their monthly trash col- To her surprise, not only did she get answers but also lection fees.” received a handout announcing a new, weekly trash col- The biggest challenge for politicians is to ensure that lection schedule due to start this month. fees are collected, either directly by the city or via the pri- “We’ve never seen this before,” said another amazed vate company contracted to do trash collection. According meeting attendee, Volodya Khazaryan, a pensioner and to garbage removal service providers in most of the cities, retired teacher. “Now we know that our city authorities are although the cost to residents isn’t high, the collection really serious about improving trash collection here.” rates are low throughout the country. Vayk, located some 150 km south of Yerevan with Sometimes this is due to mistrust, particularly if fees about 6,000 residents, is grappling with a problem com- are collected by a person going door-to-door: how do you mon to all municipalities, towns and villages, no matter know the person collecting your garbage fee will actually how large or small – how to collect their trash and clean give it to the city or service provider? public parks. And unlike other areas such as economic Local Government Program officials offer a tip for res- development or education, the responsibility for doing the idents: they should demand their own copy of a receipt job lies not with the president or the parliament or even the when they pay their fees. Some cities and private compa- marzpet (governor), but solely with local leaders nies have also instituted the practice of paying garbage So why is it that so many communities across the fees through the post office or bank, eliminating the possi- country are literally trashed, with people forced to dispose bility that your garbage fee will go into someone's pocket of their own uncollected garbage, and trash piling up in rather than the city coffers. parks and other public areas? Monitoring what happens to money allocated for Trash collection remains one of the highest priorities for trash collection and landscaping in the city budget is Armenians, and is among the most problematic for local another matter. Garbage collection is often included in authorities, according to a poll conducted among 38 urban a line item called ‘housing and utilities,’ which can communities by the USAID funded Local Government include a range of services, from water to landscaping Program. A more recent public opinion survey conducted by to street cleaning to garbage removal in residential the same organization showed varying levels of satisfaction areas. with garbage service, with the most discontent living in private That means the figure can range from six to 35 percent houses – they are also the least likely to pay garbage fees. of the total budget, according to a 38-city budget analysis Part of the problem is a lack of adequate resources, conducted by the Local Government Program. Council especially in the smaller communities with their limited members should be able to see and show residents the local budgets. Often, the money set aside for landscaping, breakdown of this line item and the detailed justification or street cleaning and garbage collection is only enough to subcategories with the attachments for it (often, you must cover collection. Outdated equipment makes it difficult for ask for these separately). providers to offer good service and this makes it even For many communities, though, offering good service harder to collect the monthly fees from already dissatisfied is limited by being unable to buy the proper equipment. To residents. In addition many citizens are not used to the aid communities with expensive equipment purchases, the fact that local politicians are required to collect fees and Local Government Program has awarded 33 communities assess littering penalties to pay for the trash collection. – including Vayk – the opportunity to co-purchase garbage But much of the problem can be attributed to, at best, trucks, with the cities agreeing to finance nearly one-fifth poor planning and an unwillingness of politicians to assess of the cost. and collect user fees and littering fines. At worst, graft is a Other programs have come up with other innovative potential risk, because the budget format allows the cost-sharing solutions, such as the Children of Armenia details of how funds set aside for garbage collection are Fund (COAF) in Armarvir, where six villages have com- spent to be obscured in vaguely described line items. bined resources to form a single garbage collection ser- By law, garbage collection, street cleaning, landscap- vice. COAF helped to establish a private company and ing and maintenance of public areas (parks, streets, paid for a single garbage truck and garbage bins to be dis- squares) are managed and financed at the local level.. tributed to all six communities. The garbage truck rotates Local politicians must choose whether they want to run the through the participating communities, working one day in service themselves through the city, or whether to contract each village. the job out to a private company. Either way, the city coun- “Before we started this program, garbage collec- cil is responsible for assessing user fees ranging from tion had never been offered, not in the 50 plus years between 50-200 AMD (16-66 cents) per month per person, those communities had existed,” said Ovsanna negotiating the specific collection and cleaning schedule, Yeghoyan, COAF’s program manager. “We wanted to and firing contractors who fail to perform and draw cus- improve the service to the villages, and also create tomer complaints. local jobs.” OCTOBER LOCAL ELECTIONS 2008 5 Work Leaders Keep unity Clean? Photo by Anahit Hayrapetyan/Amnewsservice.org Photo by Clean Sweep: Each community must hire a landscaping crew to keep public spaces clean, such as these ladies working in Yerevan’s Central District. Yerevan’s 12 districts vary dramatically in their budget and responses to garbage collection and landscaping, with Avan being amongst the cleanest and Arabkir and Erebuni amongst the dirtiest.

Aside from residential fees, the local authorities co- events and offer education programs in classrooms for finance the service delivery from their village budgets, allo- children as young as five years old. cating between 150,000 - 700,000 AMD ($500-$2,300) per “We were happy that when a donor organization came village, depending on population size. with money to spend in our community, the city authorities “The residential fee collection rates range from 30 to suggested garbage removal as the area that needs the 80 percent in villages,” said Yeghoyan. “We hope to most improvement,” she said. obtain more garbage trucks, to deliver better and more Vayk authorities plan to invite residents to more city frequent service in the villages and to improve our col- council meetings focused on garbage removal. Hamlet lection rate.” Khachatryan, who runs the private company that collects What cities like Vayk are finding, though, is that open Vayk’s trash and cleans the streets, hopes these efforts will communication, education and public participation are key build trust toward their company and citizens will be more to making a trash collection and landscaping service work. willing to cooperate and make their payments – right now, Cities like , Martuni, and Vayk have already his collection rate is at about 40 percent. started active community outreach programs to call on the Ayvazyan’s and her neighbor’s problem, Khachatryan public’s support to help keep streets clean, pay service explained, was centered around the fact that residents had fees on time, and place garbage in proper bins, in to be served with nothing but a “30-year-old, broken down exchange for the city improving garbage collection. Efforts vehicle that couldn’t do the job.” of the city authorities include involving local environmental The new garbage truck, partly paid for by USAID funds NGOs to work with residents, printing and distributing and an $8,000 contribution from the Vayk city budget, will brochures and leaflets, and commissioning TV programs enable him to work much faster and more effectively, he said. and advertisements to raise awareness. “I had the opportunity to talk to our residents and Vayk has also started a unique early education cam- explain how we operate, why we have problems, and how paign in schools to help children get the message early we are going to solve them,” said Khachatryan after the that they play a part in keeping their streets clean. meeting. “I really enjoyed this chance to show the people Ruzanna Khazaryan, for example, runs an NGO that that we all care about our city.” sends students with cameras out to different Are your local (any “no” answers indi- Are you keeping your neighborhoods politicians keeping your cate potential problem community clean? to photograph community clean? areas) the state of cleanliness in • Do you make your garbage pay- • Do you pay your garbage bill on public places. ment through a local bank or post time, and regularly? office? If not, do you get a receipt Those photos from the person who comes to the have been dis- door to collect your bill? played during open council • Does your city council schedule • Do you participate in any public any public hearings or council ses- meetings scheduled by your local sessions, pub- sions devoted to solid waste officials regarding trash collection lic hearings removal in your community? and landscaping? and meetings at the mayor’s • Do you have a regular printed garbage removal schedule posted office. The somewhere in your community? photo monitor- ing project has • Is your garbage removed regularly? had good • Do you read about or hear your results: The community leader addressing the NGO has been public through the local media able to get regarding trash collection? local residents • Does your city budget contain a to pitch-in to clear explanation of how trash col- help clean the lection and landscaping money is areas to be spent (usually located in the attach- ments to the budget line item, under monitored. This “housing and utilities”)? helped the areas to remain • Do they make that budget informa- clean for some tion readily available to the public? time. In one • Are the streets, parks and other • Do you pick up litter on the street? case a polluted public spaces in your district/city • Have you ever participated in, or public space cleaned regularly? organized, a community street New city, old garbage: Trash mars the image that was cleaned cleaning project? Yerevan is trying to project as a modern well man- • Have you ever been asked your immediately opinion on garbage removal quality aged city. Everyone needs to pitch in, from local after the mayor by your community leaders? officials organizing regular garbage pickups to pri- received pho- vate citizens organizing community trash cleaning • Is there a hot line in your commu- tos of the area. nity where you can report inade- days. In Vayk, for example (see cover photo), resi- Khazaryan quate service? dents are responding positively to the new garbage and her staff truck the city put in commission this month. also organize • Are your streets being cleaned from snow in the winter time regularly?

Photo by Anahit Hayrapetyan/Amnewsservice.org Photo by city cleaning 6 LOCAL ELECTIONS 2008 OCTOBER Women Discouraged From Running, Even in Local Elections

By Armine Ghukasyan Sevan Newspaper

In the mostly male political arena of , Siramarg Ghazaryan, a teacher Ignored majority? and chair of the local Republican Even heavyweight local community Party in Tsovagyugh village, is a rare exception: she’s one of the leaders like Anahit Avetisyan (left) Armine Ghukhasyan/Sevan Newspaper Photo by Kotayk province in 2005. Aghoyan The lack of female candidates few women to consistently run for and Siramarg Ghazaryan (right) in is a pillar of the community, is a trend mirrored throughout the local office. Lake Sevan’s Gegharkunik region belonging to the Association of Ghegharkunik region. Only seven “If you are in politics, you must hit a glass ceiling when trying to Women with University Education women serve as the leaders for constantly think about running for advance their political careers. and the National Democratic the region’s 59 cities, towns and election,” said the local councilor. Union Party as well as chairing 87 villages. Out of the 556 council “It’s my own hard work that They aren’t alone: women are the Civil Initiative Center’s Kotayk seats in the region, only 38 seats helped me. In the rural communi- vastly underrepresented in office. Aghoyan nearly defeated are currently held by women. It’s ties, you have to prove yourself. Armenia at all levels of elected her two male competitors, getting more likely that women are fac- People know who you are, and government. at least 1,000 votes in about a ing opposition from male politi- vote for you based on your track 4,500-member community. cians, rather than support, as record.”

Photo by Armine Ghukhasyan/Sevan Newspaper Photo by “Elections are tough and they demonstrated by the sentiments Ghazaryan learned this the dictate their own rules of the of Ashot Avetisyan, a Sevan hard way. In 2002, she ran for game,” said Aghoyan. “The prob- councilor who could not keep head of her community against 11 serve on local councils across the tics was so low. lem is few women take part in from shouting: “A woman belongs men and lost, receiving only 101 country. In the local elections, This isn’t because women elections. The inequality between in the kitchen: her job is to be a votes. The same year, she ran for though hundreds ran for local aren’t educated: in fact, 55 per- men and women is very strong. If good mother and a housewife!” the local council and won the seat positions, women made up a cent of the total population of you don’t believe in yourself, your The likelihood of defeat in she still holds today. mere 6.2 percent of the total num- Armenia and 64 percent of its cit- opponent feels it.” Sevan stops many promising More than half of the voting ber of candidates running for izens with higher education are Surveys show that female potential female candidates from age population is female, but election, a number that has women. But women are having candidates have some room to even attempting to run for office. women still remain vastly under- remained virtually unchanged trouble climbing the ladder from win over voter confidence. A “Here the principle ‘participa- represented in all elected levels since 2002. local council to community head Gallup survey conducted in 2006 tion is a result in itself’ does not of government. Since local elec- Women find the most success, to the higher rungs of political showed that while only seven per- work, at least for me,” said Lusine tions began in Armenia in 1996, ironically, where others have power. That’s because the stereo- cent of people said they would Smbatyan, a young, active only in rural communities have failed: in the regions with the types that keep women in the support a woman, another 31 per- woman who works in the city’s women been voted in as commu- most difficult economic condi- kitchen also affect their self cent of those interviewed men- tourism office. nity heads. No woman has ever tions, according to an informal esteem, making it tough to com- tioned that gender was unimpor- Smbatyan is smart and has a been elected mayor or district UNDP survey conducted this pete in a man’s world, say the tant to them. higher education, but says she head of Armenia’s larger cities. year. Researchers surveyed women who have found political However, women have more would never consider running for Currently, women lead only 23 1,300 people in communities success. trouble convincing men than office, because she thinks she of the 866 villages in the republic, across the country to discover Anahit Aghoyan ran for mayor women of their worthiness as would lose. As is often the case, and only 281 of them currently why women’s participation in poli- in her small town of in political candidates: according to particularly in small communities, the UNDP survey, out of a mere she applies her knowledge and 20 percent of people who said skills in the workplace and not for they would vote for a female can- a seat on the local council. didate over an equally qualified Ghazharyan still placed most male candidate, the vast majority of the blame on stereotypes and (70 percent) were female. the false assumption that women “I think women need to be aren’t up to the job. brave enough to run for political “I would frequently hear during office,” said Anahit Avetisyan, the 2002 elections: If a woman is chairwoman of Sevan’s running for election is there no Association of Women with man in the village? Not even the University Education, who has so-called women’s solidarity occupied different top positions helps in the hard battle to over- throughout the years. “I would say come stereotypes in rural commu- no prejudice is ever appropriate — nities,” she said. including preferring women over Those that do value women, men, strictly because they are according to the UNDP survey, women. Both men and women say the political arena would be should be judged based upon per- improved with more female repre- sonal merit, knowledge and abili- sentation. Standard survey com- ties. Of course, a woman winning ments included: “politics suffers as a village head, let alone mayoral without women”; and “it is easier elections is still rare, but the pres- to get accustomed to female lead- ence of women on local councils is ers”; and “women are more deci- both possible and necessary.” sive, sincere and fair.” But in many small communi- But in the short term, ties, it’s hard to find the women Ghegharkunik residents – and willing to break the ice – and few Armenians around the country -- male politicians actively support remain limited in their choice of their joining the ranks. In Sevan, female candidates. Ghazharyan for example, Mayor Gevorg said she will defend her incumbent Malkhasyan claimed he values council seat, but will never again women’s participation in politics, consider running for community and that he has encouraged head. Aghoyan said she probably women to run. Yet, within the last won’t be running this time unless four years, only two women have her win is a sure thing. ever run for either the town coun- “Independent of anything, I cil or for mayor of Sevan and both will need victory like air if I run,”

Data provided by UNDP; Graphic created Liana Karakhanyan/Amnewsservice.org of them failed to be elected. she said. OCTOBER LOCAL ELECTIONS 2008 7

Making the Best of Bad Choices Is Anybody Watching? Many NGOs sign up to monitor elections, but few observe or report By Karine Asatryan Clan warfare taints most A1-Plus During the February 2008 presidential race, an impres- sive 39 local and six international organizations were signed up to monitor the contentious elections. Yet only two or three contested local races organizations were actually seen by voters on election day – and only one local observer organization filed a report. Continued from Page 1 Only Its Your Choice, which had observers in 700 precincts and the Organization for Security and Cooperation Either the race is unchallenged, leav- in Europe (OSCE), an international observer mission, which ing the incumbent politician in power and had observers in 1,000 precincts, saw and reported prob- able to control election results; or there is lems during the Feb. 19 presidential elections. a contested race, though usually not And if the first local elections of this current season are between legitimate candidates but any judge, the need for observers is even more urgent, and between dueling power factions. the list of approved observers even lower. Despite violence “Elections in Armenia are purely a for- and widescale corruption in the Sept. 7 council and district mality,” said civil rights advocate Artur head races in several Yerevan neighborhoods, only eight Sakunts, chairman of the Helsinki Civil local organizations were officially registered to observe – and Assembly office. “The tradition once again, only Its Your Choice had a dominant presence has been perfected today, so now both on election day. International observation has been next to administrative and criminal leverage is nonexistent, except for nine international observers sent by used. The authorities have merged with the Council of Europe for the Sept. 28 elections. However, the criminal world and we see the results these international monitors won’t be around for the local at every election.” council and mayoral races slated to be held across the coun- It’s no better at the local level – and in try in October. fact, during local elections it can get even Armenian law requires that the Central Election worse as local bosses battle over territory, Commission (CEC) register all observer monitoring mis- largely unobserved in what are considered sions. Officially, any organization may submit an application less politically important races (See “Is and a copy of its charter to the CEC between the day the election date is announced up until 10 days before the elec- Anybody Watching” on page 7 for more Photo by Photolure details). Natural elections? 32-year-old Mher Kerobyan was knifed for supporting the tion. Each organization submits a list of people participating Take last month’s community head wrong candidate in Arabkir on Sept. 7. He’s the latest victim in the ongoing in the mission. Within a week after the application is submit- elections in Yerevan’s Arabkir district, clash between power seekers struggling to control Armenia through elections. ted, the commission should accredit the applicant and hand which proved once again that, those who over sealed certificates. break the law and even resort to bloody ous action against corruption. Elected offi- Levon Barseghyan, head of the CEC officials claim registration is generally automatic for violence win the race. When Albert cials are legally protected from prosecu- Asparez journalists’ club in Gyumri, said organizations whose charters indicate it pursues aims relat- Yeritsyan, the hand-picked Republican tion, something that discourages many the October 26 election will be tough. ed to human rights and democracy, and they say refusals are Party favorite, challenged incumbent politicos from leaving office. “Judging from the interviews given by rare. Yet small “technical difficulties” often come up, enough Hovhannes Shahinyan, Yeritsyan’s son Look at the Gyumri mayor Ghukasyan, Ghukasyan and Grigoryan, we understand for the CEC to keep denying observation status to major and supporters beat and knifed a for example: in the last 15 months, he or a neither of them will surrender and the fight human rights watchdogs such as Transparency Shahinyan supporter at the polls on elec- family member have been connected with will be quite hot,” said Barseghyan. International. tion day. Thirty-two-year-old Mher murder twice. Three people died when The rumors circulating say that during The local Transparency office actually changed its char- Kerobyan went to the hospital with multi- Ghukhasyan’s car was machine-gunned the last session of the Republican Party’s ter last year after being turned down to observe the May ple stab wounds while Yeritsyan’s son on a late ride home from Yerevan in March political council the issue of supporting 2007 parliamentary elections to ensure they met observer went on the run from National Security 2007, and his son, Spartak, served only Ghukasyan was considered, but no official mission requirements for the presidential race. Still, the orga- Service officers. Despite the violence per- two months in jail for a shootout he and decision has been announced yet. nization was yet again turned down. petuated in his name, Yeritsyan won the his friends started in downtown Gyumri In an interview, Ghukasyan claimed “They find technical problems that delay the procedure at election and no charges have yet been with a Prosperous Armenia political party winning the election will be easy for him, the state register all the time. So, we did not manage to par- brought against his son. supporter. This shootout is allegedly spec- because “people know the work I do.” ticipate in the presidential election,” said Vakhtang Shahinyan said the day was so tense ulated to have caused the death of a 12- But his previous track record in Siradeghyan, Transparency’s media coordinator. However, that “ending it without human casualties year-old boy, who disappeared the same office won’t necessarily help him, the organization did send 10 observers to five precincts in the was in itself a victory.” day as the shooting and whose body was according to opinion polls conducted by hotly contested Arabkir district race on Sept. 7. During those Sept. 7 elections, vio- found in a storage container just two Barseghyan. A survey conducted by the “There were two precincts that were incident-free,” he lence and illegal activity was reported not weeks later. The mayor only handed his Asparez club in June and July showed said. “Though, the rest of them showed numerous viola- only in Arabkir, but also in Zeytun- son over to authorities for a closed hear- that less than half of the 1,000 residents tions.” Kanaker, where the rivalries were equally ing after then-president Robert Kocharyan surveyed ranked the incumbent’s work It’s a similar experience for the Supreme Soviet-Deputy strong, according to Its Your Choice, an demanded he do so. as effective. Only 28 percent of them Club, an NGO that has applied – and been turned down by election monitoring organization. Gyumri residents can expect a hotly wanted to see Ghukasyan re-elected, the CEC – repeatedly to observe elections. Club Chairman Informal “authorities” ferried voters to contested mayor’s race, but still no great while 26 percent favor Grigoryan for Ruben Torosyan said he was so confident of a refusal that he the polls by the minibus-full, campaigned choices when parliamentarian Martun mayor. did not even bother to apply to the CEC to be accredited for for a specific candidate, and asked people Grigoryan takes on Ghukhasyan in the “There have been years when an observer mission at the district heads’ elections in entering the precincts whom they were October 26 election. Ghukasyan’s rating climbed as high as 70 Yerevan. going to vote for – a strict violation of the Both candidates allied themselves percent, so the competition may really “They denied us three times already,” said Torosyan, who electoral code, according to the organiza- with the ruling Republican Party, but have unpredictable results,” said contends the CEC has rejected his organization because of tion report. Grigoryan allegedly spared no expense Barseghyan. his opposition support. “We have appealed to the European “We won’t have normal elections as and was reported to have been doling out Perhaps Gyumri taxi driver Minas Court of Human Rights (in Strasbourg).” long as voter bribes continue and elections voter bribes during the February presiden- Sargsyan put it best: people will vote, he The CEC contends Torosyan’s group was refused are mediated by informal authorities and tial elections in support President Serzh said, based on the principles of either because its name violated the country’s law regulating NGOs. criminals,” said Harutyun Hambardzumyan, Sargsyan. Around town, many consider choosing the lesser of two evils or the one So who exactly is on the list of local election observers? director of Its Your Choice. him to be as corrupted as Ghukhasyan. they know better. Though listed as an official observer organization by the Though new Prime Minister Tigran “No real candidate would ever run for “We don’t have much to choose CEC, the leaders of Hayq, admitted they did not moni- Sargsyan stated in May that “from now on election,” said one Gyumri resident, who between, that is why everyone wants the tor the September local elections. an uncompromising struggle will unfold refused to be identified. “I would run, if I situation to stay stable – at least as it is, Chairman Ruben Mnatsakanyan said they considered against bold and impudent officials,” it’s thought I would live to survive the election. but not get worse,” said Sargsyan. observation useless in some of the communities where only hard to consider such talk as taking seri- But it wouldn’t be allowed.” a single candidate was nominated. “Of course, we would not expect such developments in some of the precincts. It seemed to us elections would go fur- ther in a less tense atmosphere,” opined armchair observer Mnatsakanyan, referring to the stabbing case in the Arabkir Along with industrial growth comes community on election day (Read more in “Making the Best of Bad Choices,” starting on page 1). Azat Hayq reported they placed 50 observers around the increasing environmental risk country. However, they failed to submit a report to the CEC Continued from Page 3 our children and future generations’ “It looks like any company owner can because of “technical difficulties:” the organization reported health, the most important issue of all.” pollute the environment, pay an environ- their computer crashed and they lost all of their numbers. “In advance of each election the can- Besides applying for grants to clean mental fine and they’re done,” said Tigran To the question of whether being an observation mission didates come and speak of everything … up their community and properly using Stepanyan, a candidate running for one of brings more renown to the organization, Mnatsakanyan but they never suggest how to stop pollut- land taxes paid by large companies to the Kapan council seats. He suggested replied with a laugh: ing the environment or make companies clean up industrial messes, local councils that one solution may be the creation of “It brings more money,” he said, explaining candidates buy the latest equipment so the environ- can best help their communities by active- an action committee made up of interest- try to bribe the observers during local elections. ment and air aren’t polluted,” said a 45- ly pushing for the enforcement and enact- ed people to serve as a watchdog group -With reporting by Hermine Andreasyan/Amnewsservice.org year-old man, adding “that is an issue for ment of environmental laws. for his community. Voting in Armenia’s Local Elections Local self-governance is the right and power of the community to resolve on its own responsibility issues of local significance aimed at the welfare of the inhabitants – from the Armenian Constitution

By voting, you participate in you community’s governance. Exercise your constitutional right Your Vote Counts Local Government Elections will take place in September-October 2008 throughout the country.

1 Registering 3 In the Voting Booth to Vote:

Make only one mark [V] on the ballot(s)

Present your ID document at the regis- tration desk After marking the ballot(s), fold the bal- lot(s) in the voting booth

After your name is found in the voter register, your ID is checked, and your passport details recorded, you must sign the register Place the ballot(s) into the voting enve- lope(s) (if the elections of mayor and local council are held simultaneously, the ballots Make sure that the same commission member also signs next to your must be put in separate voting envelopes in signature in the corresponding column for his/her signature. accordance with their colors)

Remember Authorized identification cards can include pass- ports, the document that replaced the passport, the Remember If you think you’ve marked the ballot(s) incorrectly, apply to the military certificate for military officers and non-commissioned offi- chairman of the commission to get a new ballot(s) cers, as well as the soldier’s card for those still in the service. Remember If you can’t mark the ballot(s) by yourself, you can apply to the chairman of the commission and then invite another person, who Even if the date of your passport has expired, you Remember is not a candidate‘s proxy, to assist you. can still use it to register to vote.

Know Violation of the secrecy of voting by forcing voters to report on their vote, examining completed ballots to detect results of voting, invad- ing voting booths, as well as other kinds of violation of voting secrecy car- ries with it a penalty of up to two years, or a fine of 200 to 500 times minimal salary. RA Criminal Code, article 133.6

4 At the ballot box

The PEC member responsible for Know Voting more than once or voting for some other person by the ballot box(es) will stamp the voting presenting incorrect information, submitting false docu- envelope(s) ments or some other method, carries a penalty of imprisonment for up to one year, or a fine of up to 500 times the minimal salary RA Criminal Code, article 133.4 Place the voting envelope(s) into the ballot box(es) after the PEC mem- ber opens the slot on the ballot box(es)

2 Receiving ballots, envelopes Remember Please leave the precinct center as soon as you have deposited the enve- You will receive one ballot and one voting envelope, unless your commu- lope(s) in the ballot box(es) nity is electing a district head and local council simultaneously (a second bal- lot with another voting envelope will also be provided, with different colors)

Remember There must be no marks on the ballots(s) other than the three signatures of the commission members, all on the reverse side. 5 For the voters’ information: Know Forcing a voter to vote in favor of or against a certain candidate, against all candidates, to participate or refuse to participate in You have no right to announce in the precinct on elections day which candidate you voting, accompanied by threat to cause damage to property, by giving are going to vote for or which of the candidates for whom you have voted. bribes, violation or threat of violation or using guns caries a penalty of imprisonment for 2 to 5 years, or a fine of up to 500 times minimal salary. If you are in the voting booth at 20.00 and haven’t voted yet no one can deprive you RA Criminal Code, article 133.5 of your right to vote. Shrjapat Newspaper/IFES

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