Village head might ask for political refuge
"Serzh Sargsyan is my president, and I will vote for him," this is what head of Kajaran village Rafik Atayan, who had declared that he was leaving the Republican Party of Armenia and was resigning from office.
When asked who could pressure him to sign a decision on emptying the village of its residents without Serzh Sargsyan being notified of that? In response, Atayan said: "Perhaps that man [Serzh Sargsyan-ed] doesn't know a lot of things."
Rafik Atayan provided "A1+" with details on the consultation that took place at the regional council of Syunik province and his resignation that followed.
Atayan says he hasn't signed under a document stating that Kajaran will be "handed" to the Copper and Molybdenum Factory in Zangezur. The government has allowed the factory to exploit the mine near the village, and if the decision is implemented, all the villagers will be forced to move.
"The representatives of the factory and the government made me sign the document during the consultation at the regional council. I told them that there were 131 families and 270 residents and that they were earning a living by farming. How can I tell them to move?" Rafik Atayan said, adding that "everyone" had told him to sign and didn't mention any names.
The village head also complained that the government had never helped the village throughout the past 15 years of his term in office and concluded that the government has intentionally closed roads and hasn't created conditions for the village.
Atayan also said the new village head won't be able to hand the village to the Copper and Molybdenum Factory in Kajaran in order to implement the mining industry.
If the threat of emptying the village turns into a reality, Republican Rafik Atayan promises to ask for political refuge "outside of Armenia".
