ARMENIAN PREMIER RELUCTANT TO BACK DEFENCE MINISTER’S BID FOR PRESIDENCY – PAPER

Iravunk, Armenia
Nov 17 2006

The head of the political board of the Republican Party of Armenia
and the defence minister, Serzh Sarkisyan, has big ambitions to take
the post of the Armenian president in 2008, the Armenian opposition
Iravunk has reported.

The paper reports that it would be logical for the party leader and
the prime minister, Andranik Markaryan, to help his fellow party
member to realize his desire.

However, a source close to the party said that Markaryan did not lift
a finger to do this and even said the following in a narrow circle:
"Serzh Sarkisyan’s legitimacy as president will be even lower than
that of incumbent President Robert Kocharyan". This means that the
prime minister has indirectly said that Sarkisyan will become the
president only if the election is rigged. Markaryan also said that
Sarkisyan "should be clever enough to tell me – let us work together
for your candidacy".
From: Baghdasarian