May 25, 2011 - 13:03 AMT
Armenian minority elects Vartkes Mahdessian to Cypriot parliament

The three religious minorities of Cyprus elected their house representatives on Sunday, May 22 with the same three individuals once again voted in.

There were five candidates in total for the Maronites and two for the Armenians and Latins. Antonis Hadjiroussos got about 33 per cent of the Maronite vote. Hadjiroussos is an accountant and hails from Kyrenia.

Vartkes Mahdessian received more than 67 per cent of the Armenian vote. He is chairman of the Armenian Young Men’s Association and has served in the board of management of the English School Nicosia between 1998 and 2004.

Benito Antonio Mantovani got 72 per cent from the Latins. He is a founding member and vice-chairman of the Cyprus-Trieste Chamber of Commerce, Cyprus Mail reported.

All three are members of the house’s standing committee on educational affairs. The three representatives have observer status in the parliament, according to constitutional law.