June 11, 2003 - 19:49 AMT
15 NEWLY ELECTED PARLIAMENTARIANS REFUSED DEPUTY MANDATES
Yesterday being the last day of refusal from the deputy mandates, the Central Election Commission received 15 appeals with the corresponding contents. The majority of them, that is 12 people are the representatives of the Armenian Republican Party who won the majority of seats in the new parliament by the majority voter. Among the deputies refused are Armenian prime-minister Andranik Margarian, minister of defense Serge Sargsian, minister of the territorial administration and infrastructures activity coordination Hovik Abrahamian, minister of finance and economy Vardan Khachatrian, minister of trade and economic development Karen Chshmarirtian, minister of ecology Vardan Ayvazian, minister of agriculture David Zadoian, minister of communication Andranik Manukian. Head of Armenian presidential administration Artashes Tumanian and member of Armenian Revolutionary Federation "Dashnaktsutyun" Ruben Hakobian also renounced their deputy mandates. Yerevan State Conservatoire rector Sergey Saradjian gave his mandate to a colleague from the United Labor Party. It should be noted, that the ceremonial handing of mandates to 128 deputies elected to the National Assembly will take place today. The fate of three deputies will be decided at the near weekend after the by-election in the 12-th, 41-st and 29-th constituencies.