VAZGEN MANUKIAN DOES NOT SEE WINNING CANDIDATE IN OPPOSITION FIELD AS YET

Noyan Tapan
Dec 19, 2007

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 19, NOYAN TAPAN. Vazgen Manukian, the Chairman of the
National Democratic Union, regards the candidate of the authorities,
that is Serge Sargsian nominated by the Republican Party of Armenia,
as the main target of his struggle in the forthcoming presidential
elections. The other candidates, according to him, "are not rivals
but competitors" for him.

Vazgen Manukian declared at the press conference held on December
18 that if "an axis is formed, which will put the authorities in a
difficult situation", he is ready to remove his candidature, however,
he does not see such an axis as yet. According to Vazgen Manukian,
as of this moment, irrespective of the fact that society is very
dissatisfied with the authorities, he does not see "a winning
candidate" among the opposition figures as yet.

Vazgen Manukian considers it wrong "to go to the elections being in
poison:" according to him, in case of coming into power "one wing"
of the opposition will continue to govern with the same methods, with
which it is struggling today. The Chairman of the National Democratic
Union expressed discontent with certain opposition mass media, which,
in his words, sow intolerance, however, in his opinion, it has an
opposite influence and takes a part of the opposition electorate away
in favour of the authorities.

Vazgen Manukian stressed that he has been criticizing the authorities
for the past ten years and has not digressed from the way adopted
in the 60s during the whole period of his political activities. He
said that he has not met with Serge Sargsian and Robert Kocharian for
already a rather long time, however, he does not see any "criminal"
in the meetings with them.