ON EVE OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS IN ARMENIA OPPOSITION SHOULD UNITE AROUND UNITED PROGRAM
ARKA News Agency
Sept 4 2007
Armenia
YEREVAN, September 4. /ARKA/. In the issue of nominating a united
candidate from the opposition for the presidential elections in
Armenia, not the individual but the program of unification of the
party is important, said Leader of the National-Democratic Party
(NDP) of Armenia Shavarsh Kocharyan.
"In case if ambitions predominate on Armenia’s oppositional field,
it will lead to nothing good," he said.
According to him, the oppositional forces have a very short period
of time for the unification around a united program.
"In the united program of the oppositional parties there should
be provisions clearly defining the global objectives of the future
president and the ways and mechanisms that he will use to achieve
them in the conditions of the acting Constitution," he said.
Kocharyan added that the NDP is ready to participate on the process
of uniting oppositional parties on the eve of elections in case if
similar cooperation will be productive.
In his turn, Armenia’s ex-Premier Hrant Bagratyan said that the
oppositional parties are small and the experience of parliamentary
elections showed that they cannot unite.
"It is necessary to conduct "rating" public elections among the
oppositional parties that will demonstrate in the most objective way
who the public prefer," he said.
Bagratyan thinks that a united candidate can be nominated on the basis
of people’s trust due to the ideas and programs that he is adherent.
The presidential elections in Armenia are scheduled for the first
half of 2008. The following presidential candidates will run for
president: Leader of the Republican Party of Armenia Prime Minister
Serge Sargsyan, Leader of "Orinats Yerkir" Party Artur Bagdasaryan,
Leader of the National-Democratic Union Vazgen Manukyan, Leader of
the "New Times" Party Aram Karapetyan, Leader of the Marxist Party
of Armenia David Hakobyan, and Leader of the People’s Party Tigran
Karapetyan.