"Fact" daily writes:
Elections of the Council of Elders will be held in Vagharshapat enlarged community tomorrow. The propaganda has been stopped since midnight, in short, today is a day of silence, and a few basic observations can be made.
And so what is tomorrow's election about? Many experts and politicians believe that they are more than just local government elections. The point is that for both the opposition forces and the authorities, this is becoming a kind of last touchstone before the upcoming national elections.
Next: the vote, which also covers the territory of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, is seen not only as a process of formation of the local self-government body, but also as part of the wider political and social developments of the country.
In recent months, the tensions surrounding the relations between the Armenian Apostolic Church and the authorities have obviously affected the electoral sentiments.
According to the assessment of political scientists, Vagharshapat elections are considered as a platform where the public's attitude towards the ongoing political processes will be expressed. On the other hand, tomorrow is a serious test for political forces and observers in terms of monitoring the election process.
The fact is that the competition between the government candidates and the opposition forces has been characterized by two-sided accusations, including statements about the use of administrative levers, political pressure or election bribery. The police have already registered one criminal case related to possible offenses by the school director.
At the same time, some journalists and bloggers reported that there were additional restrictions during the dissemination of information. It is expected that there will be a large involvement of observers in Vagharshapat on Sunday, and the attention of all of Armenia will be focused on the elections. This inspires hope that this "examination" of control will also be possible to overcome with honor.
According to political scientists, there are two opposing approaches in the field of elections. one side emphasizes the problem of community development and management, the other - the impact of elections on the situation formed around the Church and state-Church relations. The messages of various actors have also become stronger.
The leader of Shirak Diocese, Archbishop Mikael Adjapahyan, who is currently in prison, in his message to the voters emphasized the need for participation, noting that the result can have an impact on both Vagharshapat and the country as a whole.
Details in today's issue of "Past" daily
