ARMENIANS EXPECT SARKISIAN TO BECOME PRESIDENT

Angus Reid Global Monitor, Canada
Nov 13 2007

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Many people in Armenia foresee prime
minister Serge Sarkisian winning next year’s presidential election,
according to a poll by Communicate Research. 38 per cent of respondents
think Sarkisian will become Armenia’s head of state.

Heritage Party leader Raffi Hovhannisian is second with 13 per cent,
followed by National Assembly chairman Artur Baghdasaryan of the Rule
of Law (OY) party with 12 per cent, Artashes Geghamyan of National
Unity (AM) with eight per cent, former president Levon Ter Petrossian
with six per cent, and former prime minister Vazgen Manukyan with
five per cent.

Armenian president Robert Kocharyan was re-elected to a new four-year
term in March 2003 in an election marred by fraud allegations. The
next presidential election is scheduled for Feb. 19, 2008.

On Apr. 4, Sarkisian became Armenia’s new prime minister following
the death of Andranik Markarian. The Republican Party of Armenia
(HHK) was headed by Markarian until his death, and is now primarily
led by Sarkisian.

In May, Armenian voters renewed the 131-member National Assembly.

Final results gave the HHK 32.82 per cent of the vote and 64 seats,
making it the strongest party in the legislature. On that same month,
Sarkisian said he would seek the presidency next year.

On Oct. 26, Ter Petrossian led a popular rally opposing what he called
Kocharyan’s "handover of power" to Sarkisian, and accused the two
politicians of running a "gangster state." Ter Petrossian-who led
Armenia to independence from the Soviet Union-said after announcing
his presidential bid: "In the last five years, the criminal regime
has stolen billions from the people."

Polling Data

Who do you think would win if the presidential election were held
this Sunday?

Serge Sarkisian 38%

Raffi Hovhannisian 13%

Artur Baghdasaryan 12%

Artashes Geghamyan 8%

Levon Ter Petrosyan 6%

Vazgen Manukyan 5%

Source: Communicate Research Methodology: Face-to-face interviews with
2,000 Armenian adults, conducted from Oct. 23 to Nov. 1, 2007. Margin
of error is 2.2 per cent.

armenians_expect_sarkisian_to_become_president