AUTHORITIES PLANNED TO ACCUSE NATIONAL UNITY, TOO OF ATTEMPT OF COUP D’ETAT, ARTASHES GEGHAMIAN DECLARES

Noyan Tapan
Jan 15 2007

YEREVAN, JANUARY 15, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian authorities had a
purpose to involve the National Unity Party in the feigned criminal
case of organizing a coup d’etat, in connection with which former
Commander of Shoush special battalion, Coordinator of the Defence of
Liberated Territories, Zhirayr Sefilian and Political Board member
of the Homeland and Honor Party, Vardan Malkhasian have been already
arrested. National Unity Party Chairman Artashes Geghamian declared
this at the January 15 press conference.

In A.Geghamian’s words, the authorities’ plan that failed as a
result of the party’s calculated steps, had the goal to discredit the
National Unity on the threshold of the parliamentary elections. The
party chairman said that in spite of such plans of the authorities
implemented formerly, nevertheless they managed to get 9 seats at NA
at the 2003 parliamentary elections.

As A.Geghamian affirmed, the authorities’ attempt to falsify the
forthcoming state elections are fraught with danger of civil war. He
said that the National Unity negotiates with 13 parties included in the
Anticriminal Movement for the purpose of making efficient the struggle
against the falsifications being prepared by the criminogenic-oligarch
forces being the support of the authorities. A.Geghamian said that
for the present, there is no agreement on making alliance with any of
these parties, as well as PPA. At the same time, he did not exclude
making alliance with any opposition political force, "if this is
required by the country’s interests."

A.Geghamian declared that personally he is not going to nominate
his candidature by the majoritarian system, as this will impede
his participation in the party’s preelection campaign in the whole
territory of the country. At the same time, he said that other
representatives of the party, including his deputies, will nominate
their candidatures by this system.