ARMENIAN PRESIDENTIAL AIDE NAMES FAVOURITES IN PARLIAMENTARY RACE

Arminfo
9 Apr 07

Yerevan, 9 April: Armenian president’s aide on national security
Garnik Isagulyan has named four political parties of the country,
which, according to him, will be the most successful in the 12 May
parliamentary election.

Speaking at a round table discussion in the Azdak Club, he said that
the political parties which had succeeded to engage their offices
throughout the entire country within the past four years have the best
chances in the forthcoming parliamentary election. Isagulyan named
the Prosperous Armenia party, the Republican Party of Armenia, the
Armenian Revolutionary Federation – Dashnaktsutyun, and the National
Unity party. He said that the first two parties are the favourites of
the election. He also advised the opposition not to exaggerate and
make statements saying that 70 per cent of the country’s population
has a negative position against the incumbent authorities. "Any opinion
poll, including the most superficial ones, in any place of the country
indicated that the ratings of the president and political forces he
backs are much higher than those of other political forces. Therefore,
building election campaigns on such statements alone is nothing but
an effort to justify one’s own helplessness and inevitable defeat,"
Isagulyan said.

He also pointed out that in any country and in any election, minor
irregularities during the vote cannot be completely ruled out. However,
the Armenian authorities have done and continue to do everything
to ensure a free and fair election, especially that hundreds of
international observers will monitor the election, he said.