TBILISI ARMENIANS WANT TO HAVE RIGHT OF VOTE

PanARMENIAN.Net - If the Armenians populating the Southern regions of the Samtskhe-Javakhetia province can hope to be represented in the Parliament through majority elections system, Armenians living in Tbilisi are not protected. It is not excluded that the Armenian community of the city consisting of 200 thousand Armenians will not be able to have at least a representative in the parliament.

Meanwhile, during the last years the Tbilisi Armenians had great influence. They brought a big input in the development of Tbilisi. However, the modern Georgian history prefers not to mention about it. There are no Armenians also in the executive structures of the municipal and community levels. “As far as the city administration and community administrations are concerned, the situation is not better,” the Head of the Tbilisi community of the Armenians of Georgia, candidate from the block of “For a new Georgia” Arnold Stepanyan says. “Very few Armenians can be seen on responsible posts. This is the result of the absence of a normal staff policy. We are sorry because everybody knows about the input of Armenians in the development of the city and what can do the Armenian community for country’s development”.

What’s the reason? Taking into account the number of Armenians still living in Tbilisi, they could count on 20-25 mandates. However, the problem is that their votes are being spread among 10s of parties. “Judging from the results of the last elections of self-administration bodies, we can note that we give our votes to those parties which do not have any Armenians in their list,” Arnold Stepanyan says. “It is not understandable, why we, Armenians, citizens of Georgia, support such political forces which do not encourage our active participation in the political life and the construction of the state”.

The authorities themselves create favorable conditions for such a spreading of votes. The Chairman of the “Virk” party, David Rstakyan believes that the electoral code of Georgia humiliates the basic rights and freedoms of the citizens of non-Georgian nationality. The activity of Virk is not being limited by Javakhetia, it has regional structures in Tbilisi and Batumi. “The government refuses to register us. We shall apply once more to the Ministry of Justice and if they refuse again, we shall change the tactic – we shall apply to the international institutions”. David Rstakyan is sure that the decision of the Ministry of Justice was not a legal one but a political. One of the reasons is the fear of the authorities to loose the votes of electors during the elections. So, the only way out is to vote for a concrete political party which is most willing to defend the rights and interests of the Armenian community.

Maybe the situation will change after the establishment of a National Assembly of Armenians of Georgia. “It will be the first serious attempt to create an Armenian lobbying in Georgia and at the same time to make their participation in the public processes more active,” Arnold Stepanyan says. If till next autumn the structure is established, there will be real chances to influence the results of Presidential elections. As far Eduard Shevardnadze is concerned, if he presents his candidature, it will be more difficult for him to count on the votes of Armenians than 4 years ago.