TER-PETROSYAN’S NOMINATION AS SOME INVENTED STORY

Hayots Ashkharh Daily Newspaper
22 Aug 2007
Armenia

"As far as Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s nomination is concerned, it somehow
reminds of an invented story, because we are discussing a matter that
does not exist at present. It is, of course, possible to understand
the Armenian pan-National Movement, which was a leading party in
this country for many years; then it was simply pushed from active
politics beginning 1998 and now wants to return.

It is also possible to understand the fact that those people also
want to ‘try their luck’ once again, even though they know that
their candidate will not win. Because, this is an opportunity of
joining active political processes and thus, perhaps, increasing
their reputation too.

However, at this point we are also confronted with the issue of Levon
Ter-Petrosyan’s personality; whether he will desire to join a game
in which he will have absolutely no trust in his own victory. Today
he has the lifelong status of the ‘First President’. Should he lose
the game tomorrow, such status will sink too low, changing into the
status of a defeated candidate.

Today, I believe, what is happening is a survey – a scrutiny of public
moods. The same happened before the previous elections, i.e. the issue
of Ter-Petrosyan’s return was again pushed to the scene and then –
transferred to the sphere of the political forces like a ball. There
were relevant responses; as a result, the Armenian pan-National
Movement withdrew, having refused to run for elections.

And what’s more, L Ter-Petrosyan’s nomination may arouse some confusion
among the pro-Opposition factions, and it is still difficult to
say which of them will win and which of them will lose, whether it
will help the Opposition to consolidate or, vice versa, prevent it
from doing so, whether it will reduce the Opposition’s potentials
to dust still further, not allowing it to reach an agreement on a
united candidate.

We, at least, do not follow the process with ‘excitement’. If Levon
Ter-Petrosyan is nominated, all right, if he isn’t, we don’t see
any problem either," Artashes Shahbazyan, Secretary of the ARF
Parliamentary faction expressed such viewpoint yesterday.