Epress.am News from Armenia
Armenian state agencies have yet to respond to citizens' appeals requesting removal from electoral roll ahead of the December 6 nationwide referendum on president-initiated constitutional amendments. If authorities continue to ignore their request, the citizens plan to go to polling stations on referendum day and cross their names off the lists by hand, Anna Shahnazaryan, civic activist and one of the protest's initiators, told Epress.am.
Constitutional processes, such as elections, cannot be carried out in Armenia as long as there is no constitutional order in the country; therefore, participation in electoral processes of any kind is pointless, Shahnazaryan said.
The activist added that Armenian citizens “are being dragged into pretentious processes” and that's why they are “forced to resort to this particular form of civil disobedience.”
A number of people, as stated by Shahnazaryan, have already joined the movement by sending letters to Armenia's Central Electoral Commission and asking removal from voter lists; however, she said, the initiative is not limited to the December 6 referendum only.
“This is a long-term process and it should expand beyond social networks. The process is aimed at raising awareness among citizens as sovereigns. Armenian political forces have an elitist approach to the people. They say 'we'll come and do good things for you,' but they don't realize that they should not dictate to the citizens how and what to do. Citizens are the ones dictating, ordering the political forces' obligations,” the activist stressed.
Video in Armenian