PARUYR HAYRIKIAN DOES NOT EXCLUDE THAT CERTAIN DEMOCRATIC FORCES WILL SUPPORT SERGE SARGSIAN AS CANDIDATE FOR POST OF PRESIDENT

Noyan Tapan
Aug 30 2007

YEREVAN, AUGUST 30, NOYAN TAPAN. "All the sensible political figures
understand that it is impossible to achieve success in the forthcoming
presidential elections without a common candidate. However, we envisage
to discuss that question in a period closer to the elections." This
statement was made by Paruyr Hayrikian, the Chairman of the "National
Self-Determination" union, at the press conference held on August 30,
commenting on the position of those political forces, which take part
in the meeting organized by him.

According to him, these meetings aim at establishing direct contact
between the leaders of democratic political forces, during which
it will be possible to make their positions distinct before the
presidential elections. "The aim is that the situation created on the
threshold of the elections of the National Assembly is not repeated,
when everybody talked about the necessity to unite, however, nothing
of that kind happened," Paruyr Hayrikian said.

At the same time he stressed that the question of the common candidate
is not included on the agenda of the meetings as yet. Paruyr Hayrikian
did not exclude that even Serge Sargsian can be the common candidate
of the forces taking part in the meetings. "We are not interested in
candidates, we are interested in programs."

In response to the question of whether the leader of the National
Self-Determination Union is going to put forward his own candidature
in the presidential elections, Paruyr Hayrikian said: "I have played
a great role at a certain historical period. However, at present I
will nominate my candidature only in case I am sure of my victory:
this is not the battle of Avarayr for you to lose and then say in
what beautiful way you lost."