KARAPETYAN REJECTED THE OFFER TO OCCUPY THE POST OF THE NA PRESIDENT

A1+
[09:00 pm] 15 May, 2006

After Arthur Baghdasaryan announced about his resignation Ambassadors
of several Western countries expressed desire to meet head of the
NA “Democratic Delegate” faction Karen Karapetyan. According to
our sources, the meetings have taken place, but we failed to find
out the theme of conversation with the Ambassadors. We checked the
information in the secretariat of the faction, but we again we were
not given information about the theme.

We also managed to find out that Karen Karapetyan has been offered
the post of the NA President which he turned down. The coalition
decided to elect Karapetyan at least as deputy President of the NA
but this offer was turned down too. According to our information,
the negotiations with Karapetyan are still continuing.

“If the offer to join the coalition were made 1-2 years ago, it
would be accepted. But as far as there is only a year left until
the new elections, joining the coalition now would mean to take
responsibility for the whole period. It is a matter of calculation”,
NA deputy Shavarsh Kocharyan told “A1+”.

According to head of the Republican Party faction Galoust Sahakyan,
“the problem is not the time but the character and principles of the
people.” He confessed that he would like Karen Karapetyan to become
President of the NA.

And still, Shavarsh Kocharyan is content with the fact that the
political powers think about their future, “By now the authorities
were sure that they will decide the fate of the future Parliament
but now they have doubts. This is a positive change.”

Let us remind you that the faction “Democratic Delegate” is the second
power in the Parliament after the Republican Party. De jure it has
16 deputies, whereas de facto it has 17.