ROBERT KOCHARIAN NOT TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT POST IN 2007

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
May 23 2006

Armenia’s President Robert Kocharian will not nominate his candidacy
for presidential elections in 2007, President’s councilor for national
security affairs Garnik Isagulyan stated (APA). He said that Robert
Kocharian’s being a presidential nominee again is an exception.

“A person, who has been dealing with serious state problems for
20 years, including settlement of the Nagorno Garabagh conflict,
cannot possibly take such a step which can cause reproach,” the
councilor stressed.

Isagulyan ruled out that President Kocharian might be Prime Minister.

“I think Robert Kocharian will have stronger influence on state
processes even if he is not a President. I do not mean he will hold
any other state post,” he said.

The President’s councilor also said that he sees Defense Minister
Serj Sarkisyan as possible successor of Kocharian, “Serj Sarkisyan
can continue the current state course worthily. However, he has not
yet announced that he will be a presidential nominee.”

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress