PRO-RUSSIAN PARTY LEADER TO CONTEST PRESIDENTIAL BALLOT

ARMENPRESS
Sep 3, 2007

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 3, ARMENPRESS: Chairman of a staunch pro-Russian
Armenian party made it clear today that he is not going to drop his
presidential ambitions and will contest the 2008 presidential ballot.

Speaking to a news conference, Aram Karapetian, head of the Nor
Zhamanakner (New Times) party, said he will not join the talks of
several major opposition parties who are said to be negotiating over
a single opposition candidate.

"I welcome any agreement they may reach, but I am not going to join
any of them," he said.

Karapetian argued that next year’s presidential election will be held
‘in a more civilized manner," predicting also a second round of the
poll between a pro-government and an opposition contenders.

"I hope I will be the opposition candidate,’ he said. According to
him, in the second round opposition groups should rally around a
single candidate.

He said he understands leaders of the radical opposition Hanrapetutyun
(Republic) and Impeachment bloc who are advocating Armenia’s
exp-president Levon Ter-Petrosian and will never criticize or analyze
what they are doing.

In 2003 presidential election Aram Karapetian came in a distant fourth
with about 3 percent of the vote.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress