No Armenian in party lists for local elections in Tbilisi

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Assembly of Armenians of Tbilisi issued a statement on the threshold of the local elections in Georgia.

“We, the ethnic Armenian population of Tbilisi, express our concern and regret that ethnic Armenians are not represented for the so called “winner seats” of the most rated political party lists (which have the possibility to be elected in the self-government structure – Tbilisi Sakrebulo, on May 30). We are also concerned, that apart from the fact, that interests of the community of 86 thousand Armenians were not envisaged while making the party lists, contribution to the development of the city made by the Armenian population of the Capital and their potential is absolutely neglected. Moreover, if the part of the political parties tentatively allocated to them the chanceless seats, two political powers - National Movement ruling party and National Council have not named any ethnic Armenian candidate in Tbilisi local elections,” the statement says.

“We are confident that such approach is not in line with the principles of tolerance of our multicultural and multiethnic city; it also does not contribute to increasing the level of civil and political participation of ethnic Armenians and consequently may have negative impact on the integration processes,” it says.

The statement ends, saying, “Representative meeting of the Armenians of the Capital held on the initiative of the Assembly of Armenians of Tbilisi calls for the Armenian population of the city and all the citizens, supporting our protest, to neglect the political party lists while voting on May 30, the Election Day. At the same time, despite our discontent, we fully acknowledge the importance of the Tbilisi Mayor election and call for the population of the Capital to reveal their active civil position in the elections of the Mayor.”