EX-RULING PARTY QUESTIONS OPPOSITION’S POLITICAL FORMAT

Panorama.am
17:44 03/08/2007

"The parliamentary elections and the post-election phase markedly
indicated that the problems of Armenia are connected not with the
authorities in power but first of all with the opposition," Davit
Shahnazaryan, member of Pan Armenia National Movement (HHSh), told
reporters today at National Press Club also saying "the opposition
must look for the reasons of defeat in itself." The accusations made
against the society are, at least, "wrong," Shahnazaryan said.

"If this situation continues and if the opposition does not come up
with obvious conclusions, the authorities in power may not have the
need even to fake the elections during the presidential elections,"
ex-ruling party member said. Shahnazaryan said the sooner the
opposition draws conclusions, the better are the chances that
the political system and the opposition will establish itself in
Armenia. He also said the opposition has changed the political combat
into "different unclear formats" by saying that ideology is of third
or fourth importance.

"I do not understand what a common candidate means without an
ideological grounding," Shahnazaryan said.

"If my friends and colleagues are going to decide on who the common
candidate should be around a table of 10-15 people, what are the
guarantees that the society will accept that?" Shahnazaryan questions.