YEREVAN. – According to the news being disseminated in Armenia’s press, the residents of Noyemberyan city proposed well-known microsurgeon Artavazd Sahakyan to run for a parliamentary seat from the No. 40 Electoral District, the same district from which Mikayel Vardanyan—member of the business-conducting family which owns the Grand Tobacco Company—was elected MP and is attempting to become a deputy yet again, Hayatsk daily writes.  

“[But] In response to our question, Artavazd Sahakyan said he still has several days to think. But if he were to run [in the approaching parliamentary elections], Grand Tobacco will be very disturbed, because although it is making huge investments, spending a large amount of money in this region, and is giving out chocolate candies, there will be a very small probability for it to be elected. 

Artavazd Sahakyan is an inimitably loved and accepted personality in that region. If Grand Tobacco is distributing some things to the people, Dr. Sahakyan has ‘donated’ thousands of lives to the patients, [and] without any expectation,” Hayatsk daily writes.