ARMENIAN OPPOSITION RATHER WORKS FOR AUTHORITIES, HRANT BAGRATIAN SAYS
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 16, NOYAN TAPAN. "Having a presentiment that the
forthcoming NA elections in essence will give nothing new, it is
probable that the Azatutiun (Liberty) Party will not take part in the
coming elections." Party Chairman, former RA Prime Minister Hrant
Bagratian declared this at the February 16 press conference. Meanwhile
he said that Azatutiun will join any opposition force if there is such
a proposal. In H. Bagratian’s words, the Armenian opposition rather
works for the authorities, as the opposition has no ideological base.
The opposition politicians running for the forthcoming elections, who
declare that they will nominate their candidatures independently, will
be defeated. In H. Bagratian’s words, 75-80% of them are placemen: some
of them have entered into the game with the President, others with the
Defence Minister. H. Bagratian considers that this is the reason of
opposition’s not forming an alliance. As H. Bagratian forecast, the
parliamentary elections will pass quietly and the government will win.
In his words, opposition’s seats at NA will be determined by the
government and "during the elections the opposition forces will
struggle against one another and not against the progovernmental
forces." As regards the Alternative public political initiative, in H.
Bagratian’s opinion, it can become opposition.