Deutsche Presse-Agentur. Germany
May 11, 2007 Friday
Armenian president calls for national unity before elections
DPA POLITICS Armenia Elections Armenian president calls for national
unity before elections Armenian parliamentary elections Saturday May
12 Yerevan/Moscow
Armenian President Robert Kocharian called
on the country to act as one against foreign threats as they
prepare to vote in parliamentary elections on Saturday, the Interfax
news agency reported Friday.
In a statement released Thursday, Kocharian said that "even after
the elections Armenia will remain surrounded by difficult
neighbours."
"The problem of Nagorno-Karabakh is unresolved. Azerbaijan again
threatens new acts of war," he was reported as saying.
Armenia has been in conflict with Azerbaijan over the Armenian-
populated Nagorno-Karabakh region, with full-scale war breaking out
between 1991-94.
Nearly 2.3 million citizens are to elect a new parliament
Saturday in the former Soviet republic in what is considered a gauge
for 2008 presidential elections in which Kocharian is prevented from
running constitutionally.
Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian has made his presidential
candidacy dependent upon the results of his Republican Party in the
parliamentary elections.
The opposition led by the parliamentary chairman Artur
Bagdassarian is campaigning for closer ties with the West.
The predominantly Christian country has suffers for years under a
blockade by neighbouring Turkey and Azerbaijan and relies on support
from Russia.
May 1107 1222 GMT
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
