EX-PARLIAMENT SPEAKER JOINS PRESIDENTIAL RACE
By Astghik Bedevian
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Dec 3 2007
Armenia’s former parliament speaker Artur Baghdasarian has won a
unanimous approval of his political party to stand for president in
next year’s election.
During an extraordinary meeting on Monday, Orinats Yerkir confirmed
the decision of the party’s governing board to nominate their leader
as a presidential candidate in the February 19 vote.
Baghdasarian has already received proof of his 10-year citizenship
and permanent residence in Armenia from the police’s visa and passport
department. He is likely to submit documents necessary for registration
as a candidate to the Central Election Commission before the deadline
on Thursday.
Orinats Yerkir vice-chairman Heghine Bisharian, who will coordinate
Baghdasarian’s election campaign, accused the authorities of "improving
their own well-being only", as a result of which, according to her,
"people richer than the state have emerged in the country."
"It is the people’s demand to see a new kind of leader and that leader
is Artur Baghdasarian," Bisharian stated in her speech that was often
interrupted by rapturous applause of her fellow party members.
In his acceptance speech, Baghdasarian expressed his resolve to
participate in the elections in order to win.
"True, it is important to win in presidential elections, but the
victory must never be gained through mass bribing of people and
large-scale electoral crimes," Baghdasarian said.
Baghdasarian also explained why he and his party would not support
ex-president Levon Ter-Petrosian’s election bid.
"Not only because we don’t consider the country to be a gangster
state. Appreciating Ter-Petrosian’s contribution to the establishment
of our statehood, we are against his approach of totaly dismantling
of the state and legal system," he said.
In an earlier interview with RFE/RL, Baghdasarian predicted that
the election would be held in two rounds. He said that despite the
multitude of presidential candidates, the main selection would be
made only between a few of them.
"We need a legitimate president in Armenia elected neither through
labels nor barbed wires," Baghdasarian said.