November 17, 2003 - 18:12 AMT
OVER 30 ARMENIANS RUN FOR RUSSIAN DUMA
There are over 30 Armenians in the lists of the parties and pre-election blocs registered for the participation in the election to the Russian State Duma planned December 7. As reported by "Yerkramas", the newspaper of the Armenians of the South of Russia, many of them have little chance to be elected to the Russian parliament, for the parties in the lists of which they are included scarcely will gain the essential number of votes. Meanwhile, over a dozen of them are standing for the number of political unions able to garner the necessary percent of the votes. So, there are two Armenians - State Duma vice-Speaker Artur Chilingarov and State Duma deputy, member of the Committee for Security Issues Stepan Shorshorov - registered in the list of the "United Russia" party. Two more Armenians are included in the list of "Russian Renaissance Party - Russian Life Party", these being general director of "Volna" broadcast center, chairman of the Russian self-government party of working-people Levon Chakhmakhchian and manager of the party executive committee Sergey Magdesian. There are also Armenians - State Duma deputy Ashot Gevorkian and member of the council of directors of "Premier Avia" LTD Migran Chagarian - among the members of the Russian Liberal-Democratic Party headed by V. Zhirinovski. Two Armenians are registered within list of the Communist Party, namely assistant to the Duma deputy Armen Beniaminov and pensioner Semen Baghdasarov. Ruben Badalov, the deputy to the chairman of the Russian independent trade union of the coil industry working men and Sergey Khachaturian, the general director of "Altayvagon" LTD have been listed for "Fatherland" People's Patriotic Union. Deputy, member of the Duma committee for Health and Sports Protection Igor Khankoyev is in the list of "Russian People's Party".