Armenian party meets intellectuals ahead of polls

Arminfo
4 May 07

Yerevan, 4 May: The implementation of the election manifesto of the
Armenian Revolutionary Federation – Dashnaktsutyun [ARFD] will allow
the rapid development for Armenia in all fields, ARFD supreme body
representative Armen Rustamyan said at a meeting with intellectuals
today. Rustamyan said that the implementation of the ARFD manifesto
will allow structural reforms in all fields.

"Society will witness structural reforms in all fields, for which ARFD
takes responsibility," he said.

The election manifesto of the ARFD aims at an increase of pensions to
30,000 drams [80 dollars], and an increase of minimal salary to 50,000
drams [130 dollars]. Besides, the party has worked out a programme on
increasing the Armenian population to 4m people. Dashnaktsutyun
members say that this can be reached through stimulation of birth rate
and immigration, as well as cutting short the death rate and
emigration.

ARFD board member and Armenian deputy speaker Vahan Hovhannisyan said
that the main reasons of emigration were not social and economic
difficulties but the moral issues in the country.

He stressed that the inclusion of intellectuals in the social and
political life of the country is a priority for the ARFD. He also said
that the most important issue for the party is to turn the country’s
community into conscious citizens who do not need to be explained that
they should not take bribes ahead of election and should not follow
the provocations of any forces.

Hovhannisyan considered the second step to be the inclusion of best
citizens into the system of power. The deputy speaker said that ARFD
is the bridge that allows intellectuals to decide their future and
fate.