AZG Armenian Daily #142, 29/07/2006

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FORMATION OF ONE POWERFUL POLITICAL FORCE IS NOT VERY PROMISING FOR
ARMENIA

The formation of one super-strong political force – Republican Party –
that will hold all administrative and economic levers in its hands, is
unpromising for the country, the leader of the National Democratic
Party of Armenia, MP Shavarsh Kocharian said during a discussion in
the Mirror club today. If the society continues to be indifferent to
the processes taking place in the country and fails to realize the
necessity of drastic democratic changes, the country will go on
falling down to semi-authoritarian system. The outcome of the
forthcoming parliamentary elections will depend on the wish of one
person, President Robert Kocharian: if wants to take up the post of
Prime Minister after 2008 he will prefer mosaic majority, but if he
needs personal immunity guarantees he will form a super-centralized
pyramid with reliable person at the head. The second scenario is more
likely for the time being – that’s why Defense Minister Serge Sargsian
was elected the chairman of the board of the Republican Party. His
opponent from RPA Samvel Nikoian does not think that RPA will have
overwhelming advantage during the forthcoming elections. RPA has
strong rivals like ARFD, Prospering Armenia and some opposition
parties. Asked by a journalist about the reported cases of forcible
registration of teachers, office workers and other people as RPA
members, Nikoian said that they are really scandalous and he will
personally inquire into them.

By Gohar Gevorgian