EX-PRESIDENT’S SUPPORTERS IMPEDE OPPOSITION
Lragir, Armenia
Aug 16 2007
The leader of the Democratic Way Party Manuk Gasparyan stated August
16 at the Friday Club the statements about Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s
nomination impede the opposition and help damage the reputation of
the opposition among the society. "Aidin Morikyan is a fair reporter
but the article he wrote that if Levon Ter-Petrosyan does not run in
the election the opposition will get 3 percent, he must apologize
for that, he made a bad mistake, he struck the opposition in case
Levon Ter-Petrosyan is not nominated. Now people do not believe that
the opposition will win," says Manuk Gasparyan. He says even those
opposition leaders who consider Levon Ter-Petrosyan as their foe do
not denounce him.
Manuk Gasparyan says if the first president wants to run in the
election, he should participate in the meeting of the opposition
leaders, and if everyone accepts him, despite the reservation, he will
also accept the general decision to put him up, and even if he does not
endorse, he will not denounce. For instance, Manuk Gasparyan is going
to take part in the meetings of opposition leaders initiated by Paruir
Hairikyan. He prefers some candidates and does not accept others, but
he declines to mention their names because he is likely to participate
in the meetings. As to the circulation of Ter-Petrosyan’s nomination,
he thinks it was put up by his former team. "Those people who adhere
to the All-Armenian Movement or used to be in the government camp
then who are now spending money to come to power," Manuk Gasparyan
says. Gasparyan says regarding the ex-president’s meetings in the
regions that Levon Ter-Petrosyan is taken to the regions for picnics,
which are presented as meetings in the regions.
Manuk Gasparyan also stated that the opposition should not lose hope
for struggle even after the failure in 2008 because life does not end
thus and despite Galust Sahakyan’s statement that the year 2008 is
not the last chance of the opposition. However, Manuk Gasparyan hints
that it is the last chance of the government because if it reproduces
through fraud again, in two years after the election people will rise
like in 1988. And if the government holds a free and fair election,
and Serge Sargsyan is elected, Manuk Gasparyan says he will welcome
the outcome of the election.