A GROUP OF FIVE RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT

Panorama.am
17:14 20/12/2007

"As of today there are four or five candidates that have real chances
of winning at the presidential elections," Gerasim Barseghyan, a
political scientist, told a meeting with reporters today. In his words,
Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan has serious chances of winning. "The
electorate of the Republican Party is mainly in the marzes where
people do not have high political ambitions and want to be sure that
their irrigation water and bread will be tomorrow, although we cannot
say that Yerevan will not be decisive," Barseghyan said.

Among candidates with realistic chances of winning he mentioned the
name of Arthur Baghdasaryan.

"Baghdasaryan has the skills of populism and political
technologies. Besides, he may take up very unpredictable actions but he
has taken time out at this point," he said. Among serious candidates,
Barseghyan mentioned Vahan Manukyan as charismatic and prestigious
party representative. Barseghyan said Levon Ter-Petrosyan is among the
five with chances to win. Ter-Petrosyan has some skills of political
technologies and guides the discontent masses, the political scientist
said. Lastly, he mentioned the names of Artashes Geghamyan and Vazgen
Manukyan who share the last 5th position. "Geghamyan may give away
his positions as he entered into the cycle of black PR as a result
of being criticized by the press. Vazgen Manukyan turned out to be
more cold-hearted," he said.