RAFFI HOVHANNISIAN: "IT IS IMPORTANT THAT PEOPLE HAVE REAL, IDEOLOGICAL ALTERNATIVE IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS"

Noyan Tapan
Jul 27, 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 27, NOYAN TAPAN. The majoritarian elections of MPs
of the National Assembly to be held in Electoral Constituency 15 on
August 26 are a regular ordeal for the "Zharangutiun" ("Heritage")
party. This statement was made by Raffi Hovhannisian, the Founder of
"Zharangutiun" party and the Head of the homonimical parliamentarian
faction, at the July 27 press conference.

He also expressed hope that the authorities will not lay obstacles
in the path of holding free and fair elections. He mentioned that
he will not remove his candidature in favour of Gurgen Shahinian,
a candidate from the ARF Dashnaktsutiun, who is registered in the
same electoral constituency.

Raffi Hovhannisian declared that the question concerning the
participation of the party in the 2008 presidential elections will
be discussed in autumn at the press conference of the "Zharangutiun"
party. "It is not important whether "Zharangutiun" will take part in
these elections with its own candidate or not: it is more important
that people have real and ideological alternative," he said. Touching
upon the conversations concerning the possible candidature of Levon
Ter-Petrosian, the first President of the Republic of Armenia, Raffi
Hovhannisian mentioned that, in general, "the names circulating as
potential candidates are worthy of respect, however, at present one
name taken separately cannot become a serious alternative."

Raffi Hovhannisian is of the opinion that before the start of the
electoral campaign of the presidential elections Jirayr Sefilian,
the coordinator of the non-governmental initiative "In defence of the
liberated territories", Vardan Malkhsian, a member of the political
board of the "Homeland and Honour" party, and Aleksandre Arzumanian,
the RA former Minister of Foreign Affairs, who are currently put
under arrest, should be released.