HOVHANNISIAN: WE DON’T NEED PREDETERMINED COURSE OR TRAP

Yerkir, Armenia
Oct 1 2007

Vahan Hovhannisian, an ARF Bureau member and the deputy speaker
of parliament, says the approach that the forthcoming presidential
election outcome is predetermined is not acceptable. "We think that
only our people can determine the political course," Hovhannisian
said today at a news conference.

"When we speak about our people’s disappointment and passiveness,
it shows that nobody wants a predetermined course. Everybody wants
to be a real voter. We don’t need a predetermined course or a trap."

Commenting on the term "constructive opposition," Hovhannisian said
that no one in the world says "positive" or "civilized" when speaking
about the opposition because there is no such a need.

"The opposition must be positive and constructive and its goal should
not be demolishing or destroying. But because this model does not
work in Armenia, we are forced to use the terms ‘positive’ and
‘constructive,’" he said.

Refereeing to the party’s decision to nominate two candidates,
Hovhannisian said that the ARF’s supreme conventions are very
serious. At this point, the participants of the convention have decided
to choose between two candidates, and the extraordinary convention,
after studying the society’s opinion, will make a final decision.