DPA LEADER: LEVON TER-PETROSIAN’S ELECTORATE WILL REMAIN UNCHANGED UNLESS THE CANDIDATE OF AUTHORITIES MAKES GROSS MISTAKES

Noyan Tapan
Jan 7, 2008

YEREVAN, JANUARY 7, NOYAN TAPAN. In the opinion of the chairman
of the Democratic Party of Armenia (DPA) Aram Sargsian, the first
Armenian president Levon Ter-Petrosian cannot be considered as the
single candidate of the opposition. He said during a talk with NT
correspondent that the electorate of L. Ter-Petrosian (unlike those
of all the other candidates) is quite a definite one. The politically
active electorate, in his words, is divided into those who accept
L. Ter-Petrosian and those not accepting him, and there are almost
no hesitating persons who have not yet decided.

According to A. Sargsian, it means that the electorate of
L. Ter-Petrosian may increase by only several percents at best. "Unless
the candidate of the authorities makes gross mistakes, I think,
there will be no change concerning L. Ter-Petrosian’s rating,"
A. Sargsian said.

Speaking about the criminal proceedings initiated against the
"Armenian Time" newspaper based on the application of the chairman of
the National Democratic Union Vazgen Manukian, A. Sargsian said that
"it is a method of members of the Armenian National Movement (ANM)
to backen the reputation of undesirable figures in the press". In
his words, V. Manukian is unable to defend himself by using the
method applied by the pro-ANM press, in particular, by the "Armenian
Time". "One has to be a villain in order to counteract villainy,
while V. Manukian is not a person of that kind," A. Sargsian said.