In Armenia, DEC refuses to register oppositional representative Khachatur Sukiasyan as candidate for deputy

The District Election Commission (DEC) No. 10 refused to register Khachatur Sukiasyan, an entrepreneur, a representative of the oppositional Armenian National Congress (ANC), as a candidate for MP.

The Department for passports and visas of the Armenian Police declared invalid the earlier issued certificate given to Khachatur Sukiasyan, which was necessary for registration as a candidate for deputy. He has appealed to the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Armenia with the complaint that the actions of the state agency are illegal and asked to register him as a candidate. The CEC forwarded his complaint to the local election commission.

According to Samvel Yazryan, Chairman of the District Election Commission (DEC), the DEC cannot make the decision on registration of Khachatur Sukiasyan as a candidate for deputy, since the documents submitted by him do not comply with all requirements of the law.

According to Chairman of the DEC, Khachatur Sukiasyan did not permanently reside in Armenia for last five years, as it was evidenced by the conclusion made by the Department for passports and visas of the Police of Armenia.

Representatives of the ANC believe that Khachatur Sukiasyan faces "another political persecution", which was started in 2008, when he announced his support to Levon Ter-Petrosyan, the single oppositional candidate at the presidential election.