CANDIDATE TO BE SUPPORTED BY ZHARANGUTIUN IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS TO BE DECIDED BY RESULTS OF RATING VOTING

Noyan Tapan
Dec 10 2007

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 10, NOYAN TAPAN. As a result of not registering
the candidature of Zharangutiun (Heritage) party’s leader Raffi
Hovannisian, the most competitive political figure of Armenian
opposition "remained off play." Vardan Khachatrian, the Political
Secretary of the party, expressed such confidence at the December 10
press conference. The authorities should have shown political will
for registering R. Hovannisian’s candidature, which they did not do.

According to V. Khachatrian, Zharangutiun considers itself responsible
for country’s fate and cannot keep away from elections, but it has not
oriented itself yet which candidate to support. At the same time, it
was mentioned that the party will not support the pro-governmental
candidate, According to V. Khachatrian, in particular, at the
sitting of party’s Board it was proposed supporting the candidatures
of NDU leader Vazgen Manukian and first Armenian President Levon
Ter-Petrosian. The final decision will be made at the enlarged sitting
of party’s Board, through rating voting.

According to Zharangutiun’s Political Secretary, in order to finally
orient itself, the party needs to learn candidates’ position over
some key issues.

For this purpose Zharangutiun is going to ask some questions to the
candidates expecting public answers. In particular, the party attaches
importance to the issue of use of the law On Investigation, strategy
of fighting corruption, settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.