OVERALL SOLUTION IN OPPOSITION

Lragir.am
06 Sept 06

In the election years of 2007 and 2008, for the first time since 1991,
people in Armenia will discover again that they belong to Armenia
and the free and lawful election, stated Raffi Hovannisian, leader
of the Heritage Party September 6 at the Pastark Club.

"I believe that people will cast their vote, although they will
encounter money and weapon and other attributes of power. If the
opposition settles its internal affairs, the opposition will win the
upcoming election," says Raffi Hovannisian.

The Heritage Party declines to tell for the time being how it will be
running for parliament. The head of the bureau of the political party
says the format of running in the election is under consideration.

"We state that a process is underway which will enable finding out
later and taking the right orientation in the functional sphere.

In other words, those who are able, or if no alliance is going to form,
the possibilities of the political party separately will be assessed
after certain developments," says Vardan Khachatryan.

According to him, the standpoint of the political party should be
running in the election, but first of all, Vardan Khachatryan thinks,
the roots of electoral fraud need to be eliminated, which reoccurred
for years on.

Raffi Hovannisian believes that none of the opposition parties can
prevent and battle electoral fraud alone. "The society itself should
decide in the period of elections in 2007 and 2008 who Armenia belongs
to. I’ve been for an overall solution for a long time now. Because
local, localized, bilateral solutions, despite the wisdom and abilities
of the participants, won’t be determined and effective, I think. The
contacts, consultations intended to start a non-partisan civil movement
continue. Today I will meet with Vazgen Manukyan, though I meet with
different representatives of the political sphere, but the problem
is that this is not a movement involving two political parties or two
persons. This one, this social revival, this feeling of identity, this
new civil movement, if it is going to be continuous, and is not going
to die out soon, should be based on political activity. Two leaders,
two political parties separately cannot solve this problem," says
Raffi Hovannisian in connection with the civil movement they initiated
with Vazgen Manukyan. He says for this reason they sustain active
relations with their colleagues, but they underline the importance
of activity of the citizens, which is essential to success.

The leader of the Heritage Party announces that the political party
is ready to cooperate with both the old and new representatives
of the opposition. "I think it is possible that soon processes may
start in the pro-government sphere, belated processes, which will
allow cooperating with certain representatives of the pro-government
sphere," says Raffi Hovannisian.