Artur Misakyan: We should go to the polls, cast ballots and try to change something (video)
“One can buy a vote in Armenia paying AMD 1000. This is a national tragedy,” Artur Misakyan, a member of the Armenian Revival Party, said citing the latest elections to local self-government bodies. “The worst thing is that there is the demand. People live in such terrible conditions that they are ready to sell their votes for AMD 1000 and go and cast their ballot for a candidate they have not even seen in their lives,” Mr. Misakyan said adding that nothing has changed in the mechanisms of elections. Lyova Khachatryan from the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) says not everyone will agree to take money and vote for the pro-government candidate. “But people have to take money, because if they refuse to do it, their bosses will come and demand resignation.” Mr. Khachatryan says his party also encountered obstacles during the latest elections, but they were not discouraged. “You have probably heard about the incident in Masis. Our party is participating in the elections and we have nominated candidates in 80 communities. ” In reply to A1+’s question how they imagine the struggle against the aforesaid mechanisms, the BHK lawmaker said, “First, the Electoral Code should be amended to reduce the electoral fraud but as you know the National Assembly is not able to do it yet. People should finally stand up for their votes.” Artur Misakyan urges everyone to vote according to their own personal conscience without taking bribes. “This ill phenomenon has thrown the country into a deep pit and we have been unable to come out of it for several years. We should go to the polls and try to change something instead of staying in our homes and saying nothing will change anyway.”
