Politician Distributes Barley in Villages Ahead of Elections: Paper

National Assembly vice chair, Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) member Samvel Balasanyan (pictured) continues his election campaign charity work in the villages of the Armenian province of Shirak. After distributing barley through the hands of the Republican Party of Armenia village mayors in Akhurik, Gharibjanyan, Yerazgavors and Bayandur, the turn has come to the largest village of Shiraz marz (“province”), Akhuryan, reports local daily Aravot.

Witnesses say the villagers, hearing about the barley handouts, with passports in hand, pushing and shoving, and from all corners of the village, made a dash for the truck distributing the barley.

According to witnesses, one passport gets you one sack of barley, and the reason for the crowds was that barley distribution was according to eligible voters’ lists — that is, it was first confirmed whether the individual in question was eligible to vote or not. Such checks weren’t made in the other villages, and as a result, fertilizer was given to anyone who happened to come across.

Asked by Aravot whether he is distributing Samvel Balasanyan’s barley, Akhuryan village mayor, Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) member Artsrun Igityan said, “Have you ever seen me hand out anything? I’m far from distributing — especially distributing someone else’s goods. They know that I don’t get involved in such issues; that’s why they didn’t approach me.”

Updated Apr. 2, 2012, at 11:28 am (GMT+4): Samvel Balasanyan incorrectly named as Prosperous Armenia Party vice chair. Corrected to vice chair of the National Assembly of Armenia.