LEVON TER-PETROSIAN NO POLITICAL RIVAL FOR ARTASHES GEGHAMIAN

YEREVAN, JANUARY 12, NOYAN TAPAN. Levon Ter-Petrosian is the most
desirable rival for the Armenian authorities because he is the most
vulnerable of all the presidential candidates, the chairman of the
"National Unity" party Artashes Geghamian expressed an opinion at the
January 11 press conference. According to him, the authorities have a
lot of discreditable material about L. Ter-Petrosian and the latter is
well aware of it.

In the words of A. Geghamian, he does not regard L. Ter-Petrosian as a
political rival. "Calm Thoughts" (NT: the name of L. Ter-Petrosian’s
pre-election program) suggested A. Geghamian the idea that the first
Armenian president is "in nirvana and has not yet awakened". According
to him, the mass media artificially exaggerate the role of L.
Ter-Petrosian in the upcoming presidential elections, trying to raise
his rating.

As for L. Ter-Petrosian’s statement that he is the only force opposing
the current authorities, A. Geghamian called it an attempt to mislead
the public and present the desirable for the real. In his words, for 10
years "the Ter-Petrosian propaganda machine" was doing one thing: it
was discrediting the acting opposition – but it did not succeed in it.
A. Geghamian remarked that by making this statement, L. Ter-Petrosian
gave a a slap on the face of the political figures supporting him.

A. Geghamian called on all the presidential candidates to stop
insulting each other and to dispute over provisions of the programs. He
added that the prime minister Serge Sargsian gave a proper example of
political debate by praising A. Geghamian as a politician. He denied
the rumors that S. Sargsian made financial investments in his
propaganda campaign.

The 164-page pre-election program of A. Geghamian – "Program of
Creation" is currently at the publication stage. As regards the first
Armenian president’s program, A. Geghamian said that it is a selection
of his own book.