PROSPEROUS ARMENIA WARNS AGAINST VOTE RIGGING

Armenpress
Feb 15 2007

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 15, ARMENPRESS: Gagik Tsarukian, head of the
Prosperous Armenia party, who arguably boasts Armenia’s largest
fortune, issued today a thinly veiled warning against attempts to
rig the May 12 parliamentary elections, saying his party will defend
every ballot that will cast in its favor.

Addressing hundreds of delegates convened for the party’s extraordinary
conference Tsarukian ruled out an election alliance saying the
Prosperous Armenia will fight for seats in the National Assembly alone.

"We are getting prepared for elections realizing our strength and
with a strong trust in our supporters and standing prepared for free
and clean vote and for fair political competition. We respect our
rivals and are ready to join efforts for the sake of clean and just
vote. This is the only way, others will lead to complete collapse of
Armenia’s political system," he said.

Gagik Tsarukian said his Prosperous Armenia has now the muscle to win
the elections and assume responsibility for governing the country. The
Prosperous Armenia was formally established last year.

Some local newspapers quoted senior members of the party as saying
that it has already recruited as many as 400,000 members, or nearly
one fifth of the country’s 2.3 million eligible voters.

Critics accuse the Prosperous Armenia’s leader of capitalizing on the
vulnerable sections of population to promote his populist appeal and
describe his provision of agricultural aid, free medical care and other
public services to low-income people across the country as vote-buying.