“Zero tolerance” toward what?
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Statement by the Armenian Democratic-Liberal Union
"The mayor elections held on 20 March 2011 in Armavir city were an important test for the Armenian authorities. The process and the results of the elections showed that the Armenian political elite's pledges for reforms are impecunious. Through perfect tolerance, as well as the overt support of local authorities and oligarchic elements, Republican Ruben Khlghatyan, who was reelected in the office of mayor, showed the mechanisms for holding elections in Armenia that are practically no different from the mechanisms used in previous elections. These elections proved once again the authorities' intolerance toward any dissidence or change, which young non-partisan candidate Sevak Minasyan showed during these elections.
What also contributed to the failure of successful elections were the local police officers who even arrested Sevak Minasyan's supporter Anushavan Alexanyan for preventing an electoral bribe. Anushavan Alexanyan is still under arrest.
These phenomena cast a shade on RA President Serzh Sargsyan's declaration for "zero tolerance toward corruption", as well as deepen the feeling of injustice among the society and lead tens of thousands of people to the Matenadaran.
The Armenian Democratic-Liberal Union party condemns the elections held through overt violations in Armavir. These elections proved once again that the coalition is in the deepest crisis and can't propose new, efficient paths for the country's development and can't be the warrant for organizing and holding fair elections in Armenia. This should highly concern the Armenian authorities and Serzh Sargsyan personally. From now on, any local self-government body election will predetermine the quality of the 2012 parliamentary elections."
