DOES "A1+" KNOW MORE THAN ARF

A1+
[05:31 pm] 06 September, 2007

Ter-Petrosyan will not disturb ARF much

"We will not bother much if Ter-Petrosyan runs for presidency",
said Artashes Shahbazyan, secretary of the "Armenian Revolutionary
Federation – Dashnaktsutyun" about the 2008 presidential elections.

Although the candidature of Ter-Petrosyan will not disturb the party,
Mr Shahbazyan hopes that Ter-Petrosyan will not be nominated for
presidential election. "Ter-Petrosyan has the status of everlasting
X president. In case he runs for presidency he will always be
an everlasting loser". In Shahbazyan’s opinion, interests of
Ter-Patrosyan and the "Armenian Pan-National Movement" party may
contradict each other today. "The "Armenian Pan-National Movement"
party is not actively engaged in politics today and if goes on like
this, who knows what will remain of the party in 5 years".

If the interests of Ter-Petrosyan and the "Armenian Pan-National
Movement" party coincide and Ter-Petrosyan puts forward his candidacy,
will the ARF change its strategy? To the question of A1+ Artashes
Shahbazyan answered: "Let him be nominated.

Ter-Petrosyan cannot be a rival to the ARF".

The "Armenian Revolutionary Federation – Dashnaktsutyun" is going
to compete with the candidate of the "Armenian Republican Party"
Serge Sargsyan and defeat him. "Only those who have more chances
should run for presidency in 2008. If the "Armenian Republican Party"
and the "Prosperous Armenia" party are protecting the idea of one
united political candidate, the ARF will be their rival, taking into
consideration the number of votes gathered during the parliamentary
elections and its position in the parliament. The ARF has a program
and a team", said Shahbazyan.

Shahbazyan promised to tell the name of the ARF representative who
would defeat Serge Sargsyan later.

He only mentioned that the ARF would participate in presidential
election with its own candidate and was in the process of choosing
the best candidate.

According to Artashes Shahbazyan, the RA President is considering the
candidatures of 10 representatives from the ARF, but did not tell their
names. He only agreed to confirm or deny the names enumerated by A1+.

Thus, the ARF is circulating the names of Vahan Hovhannisyan, Armen
Rustamyan, Hrant Margaryan and other members of Dashnaktsutyun. The
ARF considers that its main rival during the presidential election
will be Serge Sargsyan.

As confirmed Artashes Shahbazyan, the ARF had presented its proposals
to ARP from the very beginning. He did not exclude that after 2008
elections the ARF could be the part of the Government.

Would not it be logical of the ARF protected the candidate of the
coalition, or may be the fact that Serge Sargsyan once halted the
activities of the ARF does not allow the party to protect Serge
Sargsyan’s candidature? To the question of A1+ the representative
of the "Armenian Revolutionary Federation – Dashnaktsutyun" Artashes
Shahbazyan responded: "May be you know more than I do?"