"OCTOBER 23 EVENTS CONTRIBUTE TO THE INCREASE IN RATING OF LEVON TER-PETROSIAN," SPECIALIST OF ELECTORAL TECHNOLOGIES BELIEVES

Noyan Tapan
Nov 6, 2007

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 6, NOYAN TAPAN. During the electoral campaign
of the presidential elections an elector is attracted not by the
programs presented by the candidates but by the pre-electoral
image created by them. This statement was made by Armen Badalian,
a specialist of electoral technologies, at the press conference held
on November 6. According to him, in order to provide success for
any candidate in the elections, the team of the latter should take
into consideration the fact what president people want to have, with
what features he should be endowed, and then present its candidate
with that very features. In the words of Armen Badalian, when making
a choice "the model of dominant stereotype" plays a decisive role
among people. For example, the image of Karen Demirchian in the 1998
elections corresponded to the value system of the Soviet Armenia, and
Robert Kocharian was a new strong personality, who had won his case,"
Armen Badalian said, mentioning that as a result both the first and
the second had their influence on the ballot of the people.

Referring to the pre-electoral tactics adopted by the first President
of the Republic of Armenia, Armen Badalian mentioned that it is
very important for Levon Ter-Petrsoian to always be in the center
of media. The September 21 speech, the October 26 mass meeting,
as well as his meeting with the representatives of the former rival
Dashnaktsutiun, in particular, according to Armen Badalian, served to
that very aim: to the creation of information occasions. "The detention
of a group of supporters of the first president on October 23 even
more contributed to the increase in the rating of Levon Ter-Petrosian:
he was like Christ, who came to set his apostles free, when he visited
the police station."