In Armenia, six MFA officials dismissed for support of Ter-Petrosyan

Six employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia have been dismissed from their posts for support of Levon Ter-Petrosyan, presidential candidate from the opposition.

Vardan Oskanyan, head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, who is quoted by Radio Liberty, said that the diplomats had breached the law forbidding them to go in for politics.

We remind you that on February 24, the four colleagues who had earlier expressed their support to the oppositional movement were joined by six more employees of the Armenian MFA. Levon Ter-Petrosyan, the first president of Armenia, announced this fact at the rally of the opposition.

"We are indignant with the fact that 'a shadow was cast' on the ability of Armenia to hold normal and fair elections. We call the CEC of Armenia to follow to recommendations of the OSCE/ODIHR observation mission," runs the statement of the six Armenian diplomats.

Among those who signed the statement are the following officials: Mr Vladimir Karapetyan, head of the Department on Public Relations; Ms Vardenik Karapetyan, an employee of the Department of International Organizations; Ms Karine Afrikyan, an employee of the Department of the USA and Canada; Ms Marta Aivazyan, head of the division for control of conventional weapons and cooperation with NATO; Mr Agadzhan Semirdzhan, Adviser of the Department of Europe; and Ms Elena Pogosyan, third secretary of the Department of the Countries of South America.