ARTASHES GEGHAMIAN: "MATIONAL UNITY" WILL NOT USE PIAD TV TIME AND
PUBLIC TELEVISION’S SERVICES DURING ITS PROPAGANDA CAMPAIGN

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 9, NOYAN TAPAN. When 70% of the population can
hardly make both ends meet, it is immoral to pay 80 thousand drams
(222 dollars) for a minute of the paid TV time in order to speak about
these people’s hunger on television. Chairman of the party "National
Unity" (NU) Artashes Geghamian said this at the February 9 briefing.

According to him, NU will not use paid TV time, as well as Public
Television’s services. He noted that in case of fair elections, the
tax payer, whose average salary makes 40-60 thousand drams at best,
will never vote for a political figure who paid 80 thousand drams for
a minute of TV time. At the same time A. Geghamian considered setting
this tariff as "the gratest victory of the opposition" as it shows
"how much the authorities fear speeches of political figures of the
opposition". He said that the authorities realize the inevitability of
a power shift and make their last efforts. As a result, in his words,
the political forces forming the support of the current authorities
will fill the television with "lies and threats".

According to member of the National Assembly "United Labor Party"
faction Grigor Ghonjeyan, although the tariffs of paid TV time for
pre-electoral propaganda have significantly increased compared with
the 2003 elections, one can state "the disputable but good aspect of
this tariff growth: responsibility for one’s speech and propaganda
campaign is increasing." In his opinion, "by paying such sums, one has
to say very important and meaningful things."