Armenian ex-interior minister's election chances improve as rival steps down
 
Excerpt from report by Armenian news agency Noyan Tapan
Noyemberyan, 20th May:

A Noyan Tapan correspondent has learnt
from well-informed sources that the candidates for deputy of
the National Assembly registered in Tavush electoral precinct
No 75, Vasil Chilingaryan, Pavlik Asatryan, Sergo Nazikyan and
Volodya Galumyan have stepped down. The personnel of the Tavush
regional election commission was at the Central Electoral
Commission in Yerevan from the morning till the evening of the
20th May but we failed to receive any official information. Our
Noyan Tapan correspondent also notes that since Vasil
Chilingaryan has stepped down, Vano Siradegyan, chairman of the
Armenian Pan-National Movement [APNM], now has more chance of
being elected deputy.

[Passage omitted: Eleven candidates step down in other
constituencies]

Source: Noyan Tapan news agency, Yerevan, in Russian 1505 gmt
20 May 99
BBC Mon TCU 210599 cal/ek