KONSTANTIN ZATULIN: PROGRESS WAS OBVIOUS IN ARMENIAN PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS

ArmRadio.am
16.05.2007 14:37

The results of the parliamentary elections in Armenia speak about the
success of the political course of the country’s current leadership,
Russian MP, Director of the CIS Institute Konstantin Zatulin
said, Interax reports. He was included in the group of Russian
parliamentarians that arrived in Yerevan to monitor the voting process.

Konstantin Zatulin noted that considerable changes have taken place in
the moods of the society since the previous parliamentary elections
of 2003. "Not only a political succession of generations, but also
a change of the electorate’s moods has occurred in this period. If
in 2003 it was fashionable to criticize the authorities in power as
it was done by opposition leaders Stepan Demirchyan, Aram Sargsyan,
Stepan Demirchyan and Artashs Geghamyan, then today none of them
entered the Parliament," the Russian Deputy said.

He noted also that the current elections were held in the atmosphere
of competition between two pro-presidential parties – the Republican
Party and the Prosperous Armenia Party.

In Zatulin’s words, the victory of the Republican Party means that
Serge Sargsyan will not only keep the Prime Minister’s position, but
will be the main candidate for presidency. At the same time, the MP
mentioned that Serge Sargsyan is the Co-Chair of the Armenian-Russian
Intergovernmental Commission and does much for the development of
relations between the two countries.

"I think, however, that the question whether the Republican Party will
form the government itself or will suggest to create a coalition is
still important," Konstantin Zatulin noted. He disagrees with those
Russian politicians and experts who think that the current leadership
of Armenia has a strictly pro-Russian position.

"It would be naive to think so. The Armenian leadership has a
pro-Russian position, i.e. maintaining partnership relations with
Russia it simultaneously holds the doors open before the cooperation
with the West. Both Armenia and Russia still have to make great efforts
for the partnership relations to grow into true ally relations,"
Zatulin noted.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress