ARAM KARAPETYAN REFUSED EVERYONE AND WILL BE RUNNING ALONE

Lragir
Sept 3 2007
Armenia

With the news conference on September 3 the leader of the Nor
Jamanakner Party (New Times) Aram Karapetyan opened his part of the
political autumn, but said in autumn he will be holding fewer news
conferences because he will be visiting the regions and meeting with
the New Times activists. The leader of the New Times Party said he
will be running in the presidential election of 2008 alone, without
negotiating with the opposition. "We endorse negotiations with all
the parties of the opposition, and if they agree on a candidate,
I will endorse but I will not take part in these negotiations. I
think in the current situation in Armenia the opposition has only one
purpose: never talk about one another, never criticize and discuss
one another. There is a government, there are representatives of the
government. I think this time the government will put up more than
one candidate. Therefore, we have to compete with the government
candidates as opposition," Aram Karapetyan says. He means the ARF
Dashnaktsutyun which will also name president.

Aram Karapetyan makes his forecast on the dynamics of the election
process. According to him, there will be about ten candidates, there
will be a run-off election, probably he and Serge Sargsyan will be
running in the second round. "It’s my opinion," Aram Karapetyan says.

The reporters asked him if he can defeat Serge Sargsyan in the second
round without the support of the opposition. Aram Karapetyan answers
yes. He says his party does not have a financial problem, his personal
means, support from his businessman brother and his friends running
businesses in Armenia and Russia. In answer to the question if Levon
Ter-Petrosyan would reach the second round if he were nominated,
Aram Karapetyan says no. He considers Ter-Petrosyan as opposition,
he says Ter-Petrosyan must be opposition to those who removed him from
government, but Aram Karapetyan thinks he is the only force which can
reach the second round. "I can see that in the opposition we spend
the biggest amount of money, we mobilize the greatest human resource,
we offer a real program apart from populism," Aram Karapetyan says. He
also says, however, that if an oppositionist wins in the first round,
he is ready to support him like in 2003 but he rules out endorsing
the government.

He is doubtful that the opposition will be able to put up a common
candidate, therefore he thinks the opposition should not mislead the
society, put up their candidates and support the candidate which will
be running in the second round. He says he can have the society rise
like he has done before with his opposition colleagues. The leader
of the New Times Party says he has been repeating since 2003 that he
will win, but it should be perceived politically and viewed in the
context of the process.

Besides, Aram Karapetyan says people are tired of the same persons,
and strong political figures and a professional team are needed rather
than political teams. The leader of the New Times thinks the society
elects persons in the presidential election. At the same time, Aram
Karapetyan says in the presidential election the government will not
use force but will try to ensure the victory through administrative
and financial resources, creating a political background against
which the government will be viewed as more preferable.