Food and Hygiene Products Distributed Only to Armenians from Artsakh: Vardenis Mayor Responds to Allegations of Bribery

Yesterday, we reported on the distribution of social packages in Vardenis. We received a photo showing a queue of aid recipients behind the Culture House, according to the newspaper 'Hraparak'. Residents of Vardenis sent the photo to 'Hraparak', claiming that before the local government elections, flour, rice, and oil are being distributed under the guise of assistance to displaced Armenians from Artsakh to citizens registered in Vardenis who are eligible to vote.

Vardenis Mayor and the first candidate on the ruling My Step Alliance list, Aram Melkonyan, told us he was unaware of the assistance in question. His advisor, Robert Stepanyan, assured us that food and hygiene items are being distributed only to those who have been displaced from Artsakh and do not have the right to vote.

“If it’s only for Armenians from Artsakh, then why haven’t they done it until now?” rebuffed a resident who photographed the queue.

Melkonyan, the mayor and candidate from the ruling team in Vardenis, contacted us again yesterday, denying the claims made by his resident. He stated that aid has been brought regularly to refugees every 45 days by truck, with documentation provided at the Culture Palace, which has designated rooms for storing aid coming from various organizations.

“This is the 16th or 17th time that aid has been provided to displaced Armenians from Artsakh from that location. It comes from various state and charitable organizations, and it is distributed in a documented, recorded manner. I am confident that no resident of Vardenis, nor voter, has received it. There is always a list that accompanies the assistance. We have over 200 displaced Armenians since the 44-day war, and all recipients of aid have been properly registered,” said the mayor.

The mayor expressed his disappointment about our coverage. “There is a woman whose door was broken, it fell on her house, and now I can't send someone to fix it without being accused of distributing bribes. The community knows me well, trusts me, and I ask you to check with the public; maybe ten percent are dissatisfied, I’m not denying that, but I am confident that no other communities in the republic have accomplished what Vardenis has. Everything is distributed formally, one by one. For everything that happens in Vardenis, I take responsibility; if you notice something, please contact the prosecutor's office,” Aram Melkonyan stated.