THESE PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS ANNOUNCE END OF POPULISM IN ARMENIA, RA FORMER PRIME MINISTER FINDS

Noyan Tapan
May 24 2007

YEREVAN, MAY 24, NOYAN TAPAN. The May 12 parliamentary elections
announced end of the political populism in Armenia. Commenting
upon the Armenian innerpolitical developments, RA former Prime
Minister Hrant Bagratian made such a statement at the May 24 press
conference. In his words, a number of populists will not be at the
new National Assembly any longer, what, in H. Bagratian’s words, is
a positive phenomenon. H. Bagratian at the same time mentioned that
"young populist forces" in the person of the Orinats Yerkir (Country
of Law) and Zharangutiun (Heritage) parties will be at the parliament.

H. Bagratian estimated positive also the fact that the phenomenon
"elections of protest" disappeared in Armenia, "when a candidate is
elected only for the other is not elected." In his words, the situation
was just like this at the 1996 president’s elections when the people
voted for present leader of the National Democrates’ Union Vazgen
Manukian only for the issue and it was against Levon Ter-Petrosian.

According to the former Prime Minister’s estimation, the most negative
thing in the last elections was that no party mentioned during its
pre-electoral campaign how it imagine the Karabakh conflict solution
or what viewpoint it has on "the Armenian-Turkish conflict deepening
day by day." H. Bagratian summed up that political forces either have
nothing to say on those problems or are simply afraid of speaking.