DAVIT SHAHNAZARIAN: BY ITS CURRENT MODE OF ACTION THE OPPOSITION CANNOT BE AN ALTERNATIVE TO AUTHORITIES

Noyan Tapan
Aug 3, 2007

YEREVAN, AUGUST 3, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian opposition has completely
given up its ideological struggle and bases in recent years and
"in fact, has started to act within the government-set limits which
have become increasingly narrow." Davit Shahnazarian, member of the
Armenian National Movement party, made this statement at the August
3 press conference.

According to him, the majority of the opposition parties avoid
expressing any opinion not only on internal issues but also
"foreign issues related to Armenia in a direct or indirect way". He
listed several issues left unanswered by the opposition: Should the
institution of dual citizenship be developed or abolished? Should the
current semi-presidential system be retained or should we pass to a
parliamentary one? What are your positions on political and economic
reforms, Armenia’s security, settlement of the Karabakh conflict,
and regional policy?

Speaking about the prospect of the opposition’s participation in
the 2008 presidential elections by nominating a single candidate,
D. Shahnazarian noted that by its current mode of action,
the opposition will never be able to be an alternative to the
authorities. In his words, if the opposition is not able to unite
based on social and liberal popular ideologies and to choose a single
candidate in a political struggle based on programs and ideology, it
"will be a single candidate proposed at a round table, who will not
be accepted as such by the public."