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Local Elections Are More Impor 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 Armenia 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 Gyumri 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 Yerevan, 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.
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