Three members of the Armenian religious group have submitted their candidacies today for the post of new representative of the Armenian religious group to the House of Representatives that will take place 9 October 2005.
The new representative will succeed Bedros Kalaydjian, who passed away on 1st September at the age of 71.
Vahakn Atamyan, Antranig Ashdjian and Parsegh Zartarian submitted their candidacies to Chief Returning Officer Lazaros Savvides who said that around 1,950 Armenians are eligible to vote in the by-election.
He also said that four voting centers will operate, two at the Armenian elementary school “Narek” in Nicosia, one at Larnaca District Administration and another at Limassol District Administration. The new representative will be declared at the Interior Ministry around 1930 local time on 9 October.
In statements, Ashdjian said he submitted his candidacy, with the main concern to preserve the national identity, language and culture of the Armenian community.
Ashdjian further said he feels he can get the Armenians out of the deadlock which they are now in, noting that one of the issues which they are facing is the future of the Armenian Melkonian Institute.
The Melkonian school closed this year but Armenians have been campaigning to prevent the land from being sold off. The government has declared 60% of the land as national heritage, while suits are still ongoing for the remaining 40%.
On his part, Atamyan said that if he is elected, “I will try to do everything to find a solution to the problems which the Armenian community is facing”.
One of his priorities, he added, would be to save the Melkonian Institute, to end the destruction and restore the historical and religious monuments of the community in the Turkish occupied north of Cyprus and continue the legacy of brothers Aram and Bedros Kalaydjian to further develop relations with Armenian political forces.
Zartarian said that the Armenian community has matured and now is the time for an independent candidate to win the elections.
He also said that he has the ideas and abilities to work with the Armenians to solve the problems, which they are facing.
The three religious groups, belonging to the Greek Cypriot community, Latins, Armenians and Maronites, elect a representative each to the House, who does not take up one of the 56 parliamentary seats.
