ARFD WILL NOT SUPPORT SERGE SARGSYAN

A1+
[08:35 pm] 06 June, 2007

ARF Dashnaktsutyun will not support Serge Sargsyan during the 2008
presidential elections, ARFD member Armen Rustamyan told A1+.

Armen Rustamyan says the agreement is a new model of political
agreement, stability, which creates a new culture. "And the ARF
Dashnaktsutyun underlines the importance of it because a political
agreement finally leads to a national agreement," Armen Rustamyan says.

Nevertheless, some important issues remain to agree.

First of all, the presidential candidate of 2008. "At least two
reasons, I can point to.

First, it is the problem of our independence and the independent
political tactics. Because you know that Dashnaktsutyun had said
to name a candidate in the presidential election. And it was long
discussed if Dashnaktsutyun was trying to get dividends in the
parliamentary election or to build its tactics on it.

Wasn’t it propaganda? I think the agreements signed after the
negotiations gave a full answer to this question, and it became clear
that Dashnaktsutyun is a party with a strong organization and the
decisions that are passed by the supreme meetings of Dashnaktsutyun
are implemented without reservations," Armen Rustamyan says.

He said Dashnaktsutyun will name president during the Supreme Meeting
in the fall. According to the representative of the ARFD Supreme Body,
if Dashnaktsutyun had covert aims, i.e. named a formal candidate,
and supported the Republican candidate in the second round, it would
be pointless to negotiate for over a month on the government.

Armen Rustamyan also stated that it is ingenious to think the ARF
Dashnaktsutyun’s candidate will not be competitive. Dashnaktsutyun
is the force which can at least put up a competitive candidate in the
presidential election. He says the situation is not ordinary because
on the one hand they are not part of the coalition, on the other hand,
they name ministers.

"I should note, however, the difference is that a longer-lasting
collaboration is set up through a political coalition. And
collaboration is more flexible," Armen Rustamyan says. The
collaboration will last until the presidential election.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress