CLUB PRESIDENT: CURSING SOMEONE A SIGN OF POWER

Panorama.am
17:32 10/12/2007

How much the sociological surveys conducting on presidential candidate
ratings affect the prevailing dispositions and the choice of citizens
in the society? Asked this question, Boris Navasardyan, president of
Yerevan Press Club, who presented their observations among 8 broadcast
media, said that voters tend to think it is not worthy voting for a
candidate who has no chances to win. "When people see that someone
is leading, they may change their initial disposition in his favor,"
he said. He also said when the voters believe that someone is going to
win anyway, they tend to like taking bribes and voting for his favor.

"In this sense, the sociological surveys have effect on the moods
of the society but it is a negative effect," Navasardyan said also
saying "it is accepted among us to support the strongest. When you
are cursing someone, it is taken as a sign of power."

He said that is why many of the candidates have passed to the stage
of cursing trying to show that they are strong. Navasardyan said the
layer of the society who disgusts cursing is small.

Speaking about high prices of promotional ads for the presidential
candidates’ campaign in the TV companies, the chairman of the club
said in case a maximum amount were set by law it would be against
market mechanisms.

At the same time he said situations happen when "the prices are high
and no one wants" which is again not a mechanism of market. "Why do
you set a high price if you cannot sell your product," he raises the
rhetoric question, also saying setting high price for the political
promotional ads has political causes.