YERKRAPAH VOLUNTEERS’ UNION TO SUPPORT SERGE SARGSIAN’S CANDIDATURE AT PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Dec 11 2006

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 11, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Yerkrapah
(Defender of the Land) Volunteers’ Union will support Defence
Minister Serge Sargsian’s candidature at the presidential elections of
2008. Lieutenant-General Artur Aghabekian, Deputy Defence Minister,
member of the Union Board, declared this at the press conference
held after the Union’s 7th congress. Presenting his point of view
at journalists’ request, Lieutenant-General Manvel Grigorian, Deputy
Defence Minister, Yerkrapah Volunteers’ Union’s Board Chairman, said
that we have two years before the presidential elections and many
things can be changed. But Artur Aghabekian hurried to assure that his
and General Manvel Grigorian’s opinions "have always coincided." In
his words, the Yerkrapah Volunteers’ Union and the army are closely
connected with each other. "All Board members of the Union are first
class reserve: we will do our best for most of Board members to have
the title of senior officer of reserve, for them to take the post of
the commander in military units to be formed in the future," Deputy
Defence Minister Artur Aghabekian said. Manvel Grigorian categorically
denied the possibility that the army will act against the people in
case of strengthening of home political tension in connection with
the elections.

Answering journalists’ question, what will happen if the country’s
leadership makes an attempt to stir the army to act against the
people, he said that personally he will not obey this order. "The
army is for defending the people.

The army belongs to the people and is not someone’s property and those
stirring the army to act against the people are not from our nation,"
the Yerkrapah Volunteers’ Union Chairman declared.