Cyprus-Forum.com

[Piratis]

NEARLY 2,000 Armenians in Cyprus will go to the polls today to elect a new representative to the House of Representatives after a short but lively by-election campaign that focused on educational and cultural issues, but also brought to the surface the divisions within the small community in Cyprus.

For the first time since Cyprus’ independence in 1960, three candidates, two doctors and one businessman, will vie for the Armenian seat. Dr Antranik Ashdjian, Dr Vahakn Atamyan and businessman Parsing Zartarian, who entered the race as a surprise candidate, have all promised to do their best to unite the community and put an end to the polarisation of views that currently exists.

Voting at four electoral centres – two in Nicosia, one in Limassol and one in Larnaca – will begin today at 7am and will break from 12 noon to 1pm before resuming to close at 5pm. Results are expected to be out by 7.30pm.

The biggest issue in the election is the closure this year of the Melkonian Educational Institute, the only Armenian secondary school in Cyprus and the only one for a large number of other Armenian students in the region.
The three candidates have pledged to fight to have the school reopened.

According to the Armenian e-zine Gibrahayer, Atamyan's campaign has received an endorsement from a group seemingly in opposition with him. Atamyan was on the board of the Melkonian, but many feel he did not do enough to save the school.

Gibrahayer said the Melkonian Alumni and Friends Association after a marathon and turbulent session last Wednesday, endorsed Dr Atamyan's candidacy while another group of Melkonian graduates signed a separate declaration calling on Melkonian Alumni not to vote for him. Atamyan has said he did all he could to save the school.

Other election issues include the protection of the Armenian monastery in the north, improvement of Armenian primary schools and introducing Armenian studies at the University of Cyprus.

An online poll at hayam.org, in which 400 people have voted, gave Atamyan 25.8 per cent of the vote, Ashdjian 48.1 per cent and Zartarian 26.07 per cent.

[Sotos]

So? Who got elected?

[Olga]

Dr Vahakn Atamyan, Sotos

[Sotos]

An online poll at hayam.org, in which 400 people have voted, gave Atamyan 25.8 per cent of the vote, Ashdjian 48.1 per cent and Zartarian 26.07 per cent.

That guy was last in that online poll! This just proves that online polls should never be trusted!

[Olga]

By the way, Zartarian who is the first one in that poll got just 4% of the votes!

[Sotos]

By the way, Zartarian who is the first one in that poll got just 4% of the votes!

Those 400 were a really good sample