ARMENIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS
Koryun 19a, Tel.: (374)10 52 09 74, Yerevan, Armenia

Statement
Even before the launching of the Yerevan city council election campaign, the regime has taken yet another illegal step. Yerevan city authorities rejected 11 requests submitted by the Armenian National Congress for pre-election meetings with voters at the Northern Avenue during the official campaign period. This violates the Constitutional right of political parties to the formulation and expression of the political will of the people (Article 7), the right to equal suffrage (Article 4) and the right to freedom of peaceful and unarmed assembly (Article 29). It also grossly violates Election Code Article 22(2), which prohibits government officials and employees from “using their authority (rights) with the purpose of influencing the free expression of citizens’ will by creating unequal conditions for candidates and showing partiality”. Article 22.1(1) of the same Code stating that "any abuse of official position in order to gain advantage in elections shall be prohibited” is also blatantly violated. Moreover, all these violations are committed by the incumbent mayor and mayoral candidate of the ruling Republican Party to his own benefit and to the disadvantage of the only true rival from the opposition.
The Armenian National Congress declares that the explicitly unlawful actions initiated by the regime are a testimony, on the one hand, to its weakness and nonexistence of political resources, and on the other hand, to its horror in the face of the ever increasing impetus of the will of people. Regardless of the regime’s provocations and the obstacles it creates, we will continue our defiance in abidance by law, and through victory in Yerevan we will achieve our final goal of restoring the Constitutional order in Armenia.

27.04.2009