ARMENIA PREPARING FOR PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

Russia & CIS Presidential Bulletin
January 9, 2008

The Armenian Central Elections Commission (CEC) has not received
applications from foreign observers to monitor the upcoming
presidential elections which are scheduled for February 19, 2008,
CEC press secretary Tatevik Oganian told Interfax.

All observer missions, both local and international, will be able to
register up to ten days before the voting day, she said.

So far, the Armenian CEC has registered observers from five local
organizations: Erebuni (three observers), the Open Society Institute
(1,405 observers), Your Choice (4,010 observers), Mutk (40 observers),
Justice and Law (616 observers).

Armenian parliamentary speaker Tigran Torosian sent an invitation to
monitor the presidential elections to international organizations in
late December 2007.

It is expected that the long-term OSCE observer mission consisting
of 24 people will arrive in Armenia in mid-January. Observers will
monitor the electoral campaign, the access of candidates to mass media,
the registration of candidates, as well as possible appeals.

It is expected that 250 short-term OSCE observers will monitor the
elections on the voting day.

Nine candidates are running for the Armenian Presidency: Parliamentary
Speaker and leader of the Orinats Yerkir (Law-Based State)

party Artur Bagdasarian, Prime Minister and leader of the Republican
Party Serzh Sarkisian, leader of the opposition National-Democratic
Union Vazgen Manukian, Parliamentary Deputy Speaker and member of the
Bureau of the Dashnaktsutyun Armenian Revolutionary Federation Vaan
Ovanisian, Armenia’s first President Levon Ter-Petrosian, leader of the
National Union party Artashes Gegamian, Chairman of the People’s Party
Tigran Karapetian, leader of the National Accord party Aram Arutyunian,
and Arman Melikian, an ex-aide to the Nagorno Karabakh president.

Meanwhile, Ter-Petrosian was the first candidate to present his
electoral program last Monday.

In the program obtained by Interfax he vows to establish a sound
democracy in the country, to guarantee freedom of speech, the
independence of judicial authorities, and the final implementation
of the multiparty system.

Touching upon the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement, Ter-Petrosian notes
the need to search for compromises with Azerbaijan, given the right
of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh to self-determination.

The candidate is certain that if his program is fulfilled better
results could be expected as to the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement, the
lifting of a blockade, and the opening of the Armenian-Turkish border.

Ter-Petrosian notes that the main challenges that the newly elected
Armenian authorities would face will be the development of the
industrial sector and a qualitative improvement of people’s welfare.

Equal conditions for economic agents, free competition, and guaranteed
inviolability of property could contribute to the achievement of
these goals, Ter-Petrosian said.

The former president vows in his program that annual salaries will
grow by 20% and pensions will increase from 30% to 40% and that
social housing construction will be large-scale in order to provide
poor and young families with free housing.