Hayots Ashkharh Daily, Armenia
Nov 30 2007

SETS NO TASK TO MERGE

As we know `Armenian Democratic Party’ and `Armenian Democratic
Block’ came to a decision to come out with a united candidate, in the
forthcoming presidential elections, in the person of the leader of
`Armenian Democratic Union’ Vazgen Manukyan. Do the before mentioned
parties branched from the `National Democratic Union’ intend to
follow the example of `Armenian Liberal Democratic Party’, `Dashink’
and `National Renaissance’ and merge in the original party.
Leader of `National Democratic Party’ Shavarsh Kocharyan and
leader of `National Democratic Block’ Arshak Sadoyan respond to the
question of the correspondent of `Hayots Ashkharh’ daily.
Shavarsh Kocharyan – In that case the conversation is about the
re-unification of the parties, but in this particular case the issue
is quite different. Of course from the point of view of the
accomplishment of the political system the extension of the parties
is very useful and even indispensable. We have always considered it
to be the right way, the more expended the parties become, the
better. Which means not only the re-unification of the National
Democratic Union but also, the unification of the parties bearing the
same ideology and mode of action.
Here we speak about the desirable but in this case there is a
concrete goal. That is – we are inclined to supporting leader of
`National Democratic Union’ Vazgen Manukyan in the forthcoming
presidential elections.
Arshak Sadoyan – Only the generality of the names – `Armenian
Democratic Party’, `Armenian Democratic Block’, and `National
Democratic Union’ means that we support the supremacy of democratic
values. It is natural that these parties are close to one another and
they don’t have any problem with working together, of course in case
no technical or other problems appear. We can unite and we don’t see
any problem in it. On the other hand this step would seem a bit
demonstrative on the threshold of the presidential elections.
As for the unification of the parties with different approaches I
don’t consider it positively, because after all unification must be
on the ideological bases. I don’t think it is right to unite only for
extension purposes.

L.P.