HRAYR KARAPETIAN DOES NOT EXCLUDE THAT ARFD CAN APPEAR IN OPPOSITION
AFTER PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS

YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, NOYAN TAPAN. "ARFD has already worked out its
preelection platform that will be published soon. It includes spheres
of foreign politics, economics, social life, etc." Hrayr Karapetian,
leader of ARFD parliamentary faction, said this at the January 19
press conference. He declared that ARFD attaches great importance to
holding of free elections and is ready to create a united headquarters
on control over the elections together with other political forces,
including the opposition. As H.Karapetian affirmed, ARFD does not
conduct negotiations with any political force on creation of a
preelection bloc, as the party’s general meeting made a decision that
ARFD will run for the parliamentary elections independently. At the
same time, he did not exclude that ARFD can appear in opposition after
the elections. "For us, the most important is the country leadership’s
political line’s coinciding with our political approaches and
tasks. Coming to power is not an end in itself for us," H.Karapetian
declared. In his words, President L.Ter-Petrosian had offered ARFD
much more posts than the party has now, but due to the fact that the
political course of the first President did not coincide with the
approaches of ARFD, the latter preferred to pass to the radical
opposition. As regards the current power, the MP declared that its
political course on main issues coincides with party’s tasks. As
regards "Bargavach Hayastan party’s standing close to the President"
and possibility of political jealousy by ARFD, H.Karapetian assured:
"We are not jealous of any one and especially when the matter concerns
the President. We do not think that country’s future should be
connected with personalities."