FORMER RULING PARTY DROPS OUT OF RACE
By Karine Kalantarian

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
April 30 2007

The former ruling Armenian Pan-National Movement (HHSh) announced on
Monday that it will effectively boycott next week’s parliamentary
elections, a move which its leaders hope will reduce the confusing
abundance of opposition contenders in the race.

The HHSh chairman, Ararat Zurabian, and his deputy Aram Manukian said
the now small party, which governed Armenia from 1990-98, will contest
the elections only with two candidates running for parliament in
single-mandate constituencies. They also urged supporters to go to the
polls and vote for "real" opposition forces that reject any compromise
with the country’s present leadership and have a liberal orientation.

"At least 20 of 25 parties registered for the elections are in
opposition or claim to be in opposition," said Manukian. "We believe
that it is impossible to effect regime change in this way."

"Our step is an appeal to real opposition forces to follow suit and
leave only one or two [opposition] parties in the race," he told
journalists.

"We think that there are other political forces that will follow
our example," Zurabian said, for his part. "They will thereby enable
a particular opposition force to do well and have a solid presence
in parliament."

Although neither HHSh leader named that force, the former ruling party
is understood to be pinning its hopes on the radical Hanrapetutyun
(Republic) of Aram Sarkisian. Hanrapetutyun maintains close ties
with the HHSh and allies of former President Levon Ter-Petrosian,
notably the Impeachment bloc. Hanrapetutyun and Impeachment have
agreed to embark on a joint campaign of street protests in Yerevan
later this week.

Zurabian said his party took the "difficult" decision also with
an eye to next year’s presidential election. He again claimed that
Ter-Petrosian will contest the ballot.

"I believe that only Levon Ter-Petrosian can rid our society of
Robert Kocharian and Serzh Sarkisian," he said. "I’m sure he agrees
[with this view.]"

Ter-Petrosian made a rare public appearance at an HHSh conference in
late March, but again refused to make any statements.