Cyprus: Three stand in Armenian representative by-election

 -- Melkonian issue high on candidates’ agenda

 Cyprus Weekly - Friday, September 23, 2005

 A CARDIOLOGIST, a dentist and a businessman are contesting the by-election for a new Armenian parliamentary representative on October 9 to replace Bedros Kalaydjian, who died earlier this month after serving his community for two terms.

They are Dr Vahakn Atamyan, 48, chairman of the board of governors of the Armenian elementary schools of Nicosia, Larnaca and Limassol, Dr Antranik Ashdjian, 33, chairman of the Armenian National Committee of Cyprus, and Parsegh Zartarian, 45, a member of the board of Eurocypria the charter subsidiary of the island’s national carrier.

They will submit their candidatures at the Ministry of Interior on Monday morning between 9am and 12.30pm.

 -- Pledged

 All three candiates are well known in the 2,600-member Armenian community, which has around 1,800 votes. They have all pledged to work for the interests of the community and spare no efforts to achieve unity among the various political factions.

However, the most important issue currently facing the Cypriot Armenians is how to save the 80- year-old Melkonian Educational Institute, acclaimed as the most important boarding high school throughout Europe and the Middle East, which traditionally had students from 15 to 20 countries spanning all the continents.

The Melkonian was arbitrarily closed by the New York based Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) which was entrusted with the running of the school under a will of the Melkonian brothers, who founded the school. Originally an orphanage, it provided shelter and education to survivors of the 1915-22 genocide and later developed to a high school and a vital centre of Armenian educational and cultural life.

When the decision to close the Melkonian was announced, members of the Cypriot parliamentary education committee warned that such unilateral decision would be considered a hostile act as the proper functioning of the school is vital for the community’s minority rights.

 -- Heavy blow

 Already, the decision to close the school has dealt a very heavy blow to the Armenian nation worldwide in that Armenian language and literature have been struck off the GCE examination programmes.

"We have a large number of serious problems," a spokesman for the Melkonian alumni and parents said, "but even such problems as the destruction of the ancient monastery of Sourp Magar on the Kyrenia hills, the lamentable state of our mediaeval churches in the occupied north, or even the part desecration of the historic cemetery near the Ledra Palace seem insignificant when compared to the closure of the Melkonian. These are problems that the new Armenian representative will have to face".

The spokesman added: "We as alumni and parents here and elsewhere, are currently involved in a court battle to achieve the reopening of the Melkonian, while the AGBU are hell-bent on closing it for good, for what we believe are commercial reasons.

"We would naturally expect our new representative to champion our cause."

 PHOTOGRAPH – Dr Vahakn Atamyan with House of Representatives President Demetris Christofias.

Caption – CANDIDATE: Armenian parliamentary candidate Dr Vahakn Atamyan (left) met House President Demetris Christofias earlier this week. He pledged that if he were elected he would do his best to maintain the close relations that the late MP Bedros Kalaydjian had with all political parties. He told Christofias that he would give maximum priority to such vital problems as the future of the Melkonian Educational Institute and the destruction of Armenian religious monuments in the occupied north of the island.