Armenpress

REPUBLICAN PARTY MEMBER ‘ASSIGNS’ 30 SEATS TO
OPPOSITION IN NEXT PARLIAMENT

YEREVAN, JANUARY 11, ARMENPRESS: A senior member
of the Republican Party of prime minister Andranik
Margarian indicated today his party was ready to share
‘the burden of power’ with other ‘viable political
forces."
Galust Sahakian, head of the party’s parliamentary
faction, told journalists that in terms of available
resources and leverages his Republican Party and the
rapidly growing Prosperous Armenia of a millionaire
businessman Gagik Tsarukian were in the forefront of
the unfolding struggle for parliament.
Sahakian attributed the growing popularity of the
Prosperous Armenia, which according to local
newspapers, has already recruited a staggering 370,000
members, to poor social and economic conditions of the
people saying many low-income Armenians are being
attracted by Tsarukian’s provision of agricultural
aid, free medical care and other public services.
"Unlike the Prosperous Armenia, which relies on
charity to win new members, we are trying to solve
existing problems by government leverages," Sahakian
said.
Sahakian said the new election code provides quite
enough opportunities to hold elections, slated for
May, in "good atmosphere" and predicted that the
opposition may win as many as 30 seats in the new
parliament, "but to win these seats, the opposition
will have to act in combination."
Sahakian also lashed out at some opposition forces
‘for selling their representation in all level
election commissions’ and avoiding responsibility for
fair and clean polls.