WEST-LEANING OPPOSITION PARTY LEADER CALLS FOR IDEOLOGICAL UNITY

ArmenPress
Feb 16 2005

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 16, ARMENPRESS: Hovhannes Hovhanesian, the chairman
of a recently emerged west-bending Liberal Progressive party, told a
news conference today that talks with the Hanrapetutyun (Republic )
Party of Aram Sarkisian and Zharangutyun (Heritage) party of Armenia’s
first post-Soviet foreign minister Raffi Hovhanesian on forming a new
pro-western opposition would end soon, but stopped short of saying
whether any progress was reached.

A new opposition format is being strongly opposed by Stepan Demirchian,
who is still considered as the top leader of the Ardarutyun (Justice)
opposition alliance, made up of nine parties. According to local
observers, Demirchian is opposed to the idea for fear of losing his
status of Armenia’s number one opposition politician.

Hovhannes Hovhanesian, a former chairman of a parliament committee on
foreign relations, accused today Ardarutyun of failing to consolidate
its positions and slammed also the authorities for their inability
to comprehend the role of opposition in a democratic society.

“The opposition has to get united and present its ambitions to the
people,” he said, arguing also that the new opposition should be
cemented by the same ideology.

Asked to comment on a recent announcement by the leader of the Armenian
New Times party Aram Karapetian, that he was going to stage a national
revolution in spring this year, Hovhanesian said: “every political
figure has his own vision of how the country should move forward.”