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Village Head’s Amiability at the Expanse of Peasants’ Property

There is a disputable problem in Ayrum village of Lori region which hasn’t been solved for years because the village management has rather means than courage to struggle against the authoritative officials of the region and the republic.

The village has about 400 hectare land, more than half being in hands of former and present officials. And not only the reserve, but also the peasants’ properties are concerned.

“If the peasant’s land is taken away and given to the rich, how will the peasant feel?” asked Manvel Vardanyan and gave the answer to his question, “For already several years I can’t stand for my own land. My living conditions are terrible.” And he told that once he used to have an orchard with 80 trees in it. The new “owners” of his own land have rooted them up and now are sowing corn instead.

These events began 10 years ago. Then the mayor of Lori region was Henrik Kochinyan (executing from 1998 to 2007). Some of the peasants unable to cultivate their lands, as well as to pay the taxes once saw their lands to be cultivated by the mayor’s brothers. (One of them, Hovhannes Kochinyan, is a former parliamentarian of the National Assembly, the other one - Haykaz Kochinyan – the head of neighboring village Shnogh.) The peasants mentioned also Artush Boshyan’s name, head of the RA Police Department of Alaverdi, as a famous village land user.

Some of the new married young people have personally applied to the village head Papik Arushanyan to hire an area from the reserve lands of the village to have survival facilities. But he has refused telling there was no land in the village. “But а very famous person from Yerevan rang him when I was in his office, and he didn’t of course refuse the same request. About 80% of the land belonging to the village is in hands of the influential people, not habitants of the village,” said Armen Aslanyan.

“There are hundreds of hectares of cherry orchards in the village. The land is registered in our name, but it is cultivated by another one. And the land taxes are paid by us. In the case we don't pay, a fine is added to the debt,” says another peasant.

Some people assuring that their land hasn’t been taken by force, but they themselves have decided so or allowed it to be used joined the conversation. But others told that there has never been an agreement with them on their own lands.

Venera Danielyan, the village head’s assistant approached the peasants and responded to their claims: she advised them first to pay the debts they have towards the local budget.

One of the young men turned to her, “Today Ayrum dwellers own only 20% of the village land. Even if all of us pay the taxes, the local budget won’t be filled of it and the accumulated sum won't suffice to solve the village problems. And the main big land users don't pay the taxes. Have you asked why?”

Venera Danielyan reminded that the peasants have right to struggle for their property. “The same Kochinyan brothers tried also to own my land, but I took it from their hand. A contract was signed and people were cheated. I paid a three-year land tax, more than 300 000 drams. Why had I to pay? Stand for your land,” says the village head’s assistant.

Ayrum village head Papik Arushanyan didn’t deny the existence of the influential land owners. And said that they haven’t really paid the taxes and incur debts in the local budget. However the village head hasn’t applied statutory measures towards them. There is an amiable way of solving the problems instead.

“The village administration enjoys the methods of demanding the debts, but I haven’t demanded, as we are friends with them. I haven’t. Exactly I have demanded not applying to the court,” says Arushanyan, refusing however to give explanations.

“I haven’t applied to the court. I can’t say why. That’s all.”

On October 19, 2008 elections of self-governing bodies took place in Ayrum. The village executing head Papik Arushanyan was elected by 5 more votes.

But in accordance with the decision of the RA Administrative Court elections were recognized invalid here and reelection was held on November 9. The mayor of Lori region, the head of the Police Department of Alaverdi, and NA parliamentarians from other regions even were interested in reelection of the incumbent village head Papik Arushanyan and often visited the village.

For many times his opponent Sahak Nazaryan was told to withdraw his candidacy, whose pre-electoral campaign reported that in the case he had been elected, he would have taken the illegally occupied areas and have returned them to the peasants, demanding also their debts towards the local budget.

29-year-old Sahak Nazaryan lost the elections against 70-year-old village head by 50 votes.

The article was prepared within the framework of the seminar “Raising the Role of the Media in Covering Justice and Law Enforcement System”, organized by “Journalists for the Future” NGO (www.jnews.am).

Radio version of the article was aired by Radio Free Euorpe/ Radio Liberty Armenian service in November.