Armenian National Congress demands Police to prevent obstacles to ANC's election campaign

Head of the Armenian National Congress Party's (ANC) Faction in the Parliament Levon Zurabyan has addressed a letter to Armenian Police Head Vladimir Gasparyan alarming of certain obstacles to ANC's election campaign for the Elder's Council of Yerevan.  The copy of the letter provided to ArmInfo reads that on April 17 and 18 representatives and supporters of the Republican Party created obstacles to the campaigning activists of the party in the Avan and Center administrative districts of Yerevan. In particular, the activists were illegally demanded to stop campaigning and were threatened with violence.  Later on April 19 the Police prevented the campaign in front of the Yerevan Municipality, though it was not a mass event. The Police grossly violated the citizens' rights to vote, to free movement and freedom of assembly, used violence towards participants in the peaceful procession and tried to fail the election campaign of ANC. In his letter, the ANC representative blames the police for failing to protect the law and keep political neutrality, and for fulfilling illegal orders of the ruling polital force.

Zurbanyan demands the Police to stop violating the rights of the citizens and put an end to illegalities and protect the public order and the people's right to vote in line with the Constitution and legislation of the Republic of Armenia. He suggests the Police to name the police officers responsible for protection of legal order and legal election process, which will allow creating rapid response mechanisms to prevent illegalities in future.

To recall, March 21 was deadline for registration of political forces and their candidates for the May 5 elections to the Elders' Council of Yerevan. Six parties and a union have submitted their party lists to run to the Elders' Council of Yerevan: Republican Party of Armenia, Prosperous Party of Armenia, Orinats Yerkir, Armenian National Congress, Mission, ARF Dashnaktsutyun, and "Barev Yerevan" Union. Political parties will fight for 65 seats at the Elders' Council.  The election campaign started on April 7. The elections will be held on May 5. May 4 is a say of "silence" when campaign is prohibited. By preliminary data, 261 observers will be following the elections.