PAPER GIVES POLL RATINGS OF CANDIDATES FOR ARMENIAN PRESIDENT IN 2008

Aykakan Zhamanak, Yerevan
9 Sep 06

Text of report by Armenian newspaper Aykakan Zhamanak on 9 September
headlined "Ratings"

Since 7 August the Election Systems Centre has initiated a new Internet
project entitled "The ratings of possible candidates for the post of
Armenian president in 2008". Yesterday it published its first results
as of 8 September. A total of 23.7 per cent of those questioned said
they were ready to vote in favour of Vazgen Manukyan [the leader of the
National and Democratic Union], 10.3 per cent for Artur Bagdasaryan
[leader of the LGCP], 9.8 per cent for Andranik Markaryan [prime
minister], 8.8 per cent for Serzh Sarkisyan [defence minister], 8.2
per cent for Levon Ter-Petrosyan [first Armenian president], 6.3 per
cent for Vardan Oskanyan [foreign minister], 4.7 per cent for Gagik
Tsarukyan [leader of the Prospering Armenia party], 4.4 per cent for
Aram Sarkisyan [leader of Republic party], 3 per cent for David

Arutyunyan [justice minister], 2.9 per cent for Stepan Demirchyan
[leader of Justice bloc], 2.9 per cent for Artashes Gegamyan [leader
of National Unity party], 2.8 per cent for Gurgen Arsenyan [leader
of the United Labour Party] and 2.8 per cent for Tigran Torosyan
[parliamentary speaker]. The centre emphasized that incidents of
unfair voting had been observed from those who voted for Vazgen
Manukyan. As for Levon Ter-Petrosyan, his name was included in the
list two weeks later. Incidentally, there is no mention of how many
people had participated in the poll as of the 8th September. The poll
will continue up to the election.