PARTIES IN PARLIAMENT SHOULD UNITE AGAINST RULING PARTY – ARMENIAN POLITICIAN

Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
16 May 07

[Presenter] The leader of the National Democratic Union, which did not
run in the parliamentary election, Vazgen Manukyan, has a suggestion
for parties that have entered the parliament. The Prosperous Armenian
Party, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation – Dashnaktsutyun, the
Orinats Yerkir (Law-governed country) Party and the Heritage Party
should set up an opposition coalition against the Republican Party
[of Armenia].

Vazgen Manukyan also alleges that there will be changes within the
opposition. Manukyan assessed as wrong the failure of the opposition
to unite ahead of the [12 May parliamentary] election. Now, he thinks
that the opposition will unite before the [2008] presidential election.

Manukyan confirmed his intention to participate in the presidential
election. He said that 2007 was a lesson for the opposition. They
got rid of the "Saakashvili syndrome". The election showed that
nothing can be changed only through mass gatherings. An organized
force is necessary.

[Manukyan] There will be unification. Many candidates who intended to
run for the presidency before [the parliamentary election] already
doubt whether they should or not put forward their candidacies. On
the other hand, many realized that it would have been correct to unite.

The issue of uniting should not be from the viewpoint of whom people
favour. It should address the question of who can win and later
justify his victory.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress