Text of report by Armenian news agency Armenpress
Yerevan, 12th May, Armenpress correspondent Artur Lavchyan:
Vanik Rafayelyan, first secretary of the Razdan district
committee of the Communist Party of Armenia [CPA], was beaten
up in electoral precinct No55 of Kotayk Region (the village of
Kakhsi of Razdan District) during an election meeting on 11th
May. He was escorting David Arutyunyan, CPA candidate for
deputy of the National Assembly, registered in the same
precinct, on his election campaign.
Robert Agaronyan, head of the CPA information department,
told our Armenpress correspondent that the argument flared up
when Rafayelyan asked Andranik Manukyan, director of the
Ararat-Lada joint-stock company and candidate for deputy of the
National Assembly, (on that day he had a meeting at the same
electoral precinct) about the veracity of a report in the
newspaper
'Ayots ashkhar' about Manukyan's deal with Vano
Siradegyan, chairman of the board of the Armenian Pan-National
Movement [APNM] and candidate for deputy.
Right afterwards Manukyan's brother, Ruben Manukyan
roughed up Rafayelyan, as a result of which the latter was
taken to hospital with a heart attack. The Razdan department of
internal affairs has instituted criminal proceedings in this
connection.
Source: Armenpress news agency, Yerevan, in Russian 1340 gmt 12
May 99
BBC Mon TCU 120599 cal/ek