Dickran Khodanian
Ahead of Armenia’s upcoming Parliamentary Elections on April 2, Armenia has witnessed the creation of new alliances, allegations of early campaigning, and several instances of violence linked to election campaigns.
And with the death of “the bringer of bread” Artur Sargsyan, and the
detainment of former Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabagh) Defense Minister Samvel
Babayan, the pre-election period has taken new turns.
Sargsyan’s death, which has led to protests
and multiple demonstrations in his honor, has only fueled more citizens
of Armenia who are discontent with the ruling regime, to join and
demonstrate in the streets.
Meanwhile, Babayan’s arrest
has been seen as a threat to the Ohanyan-Raffi-Oskanian alliance, due
to their close ties with the former Defense Minister. In the midst of
all of this, a discredited former president has appeared on public
television announcing that Artsakh should concede territories and
compromise.
And now, based on the evidence of the Union of Informed Citizens
(UIC), election campaigns have been accused of targeting public schools,
specifically school principals.
