"REAL ELECTIONS ARE THE KEY TO STRENGTHENING ARMENIA"

A1+
[07:16 pm] 17 January, 2008

Armen Rustamyan, head of the ARF headquarters announced today:
"Real elections are the key to strengthening Armenia, and only by
the conscious vote of each citizen we can have real elections". The
ARF candidate Vahan Hovhanissyan’s headquarter will work with the
consciousness of the mentioned formula. The pre-election headquarters
will comprise central headquarters, regional, community and district
headquarters.

According to Armen Rustamyan, the party will have 1923 headquarters
in the RA territory. They have 10 million drams in the pre-election
found and it will reach to 70 million drams and will not surpass
permitted limit.

As to the agreements, which the RA citizens sign with Vahan
Hovhannisyan, their number is 117 thousand, but the process will be
carried out till the day of elections.

Armen Rustamyan underlined the importance of political debates, which
will not only reveal the candidates, but will give better opportunity
voters to compare them and will make the candidates repeat their
promises another time from the TV, so that they will not forget them
when elected. Vahan Hovhannisyan will participate in all meetings –
in the cities, regions, communities. The ARF is going to visit each
village during the campaign.

Armen Rustamyan prioritized control during the election process,
and the control should be implemented by all political powers. They
are willing to collaborate with all those powers which will combat
against election frauds. Armen Rustamyan does not doubt that election
frauds will be carried out.

They will appeal to court if they have evidences on frauds. "But we
are not headed by the version that if our candidate is not elected,
then election is rigged.

In this case we may declare that the election is already rigged,
since 9 candidates cannot become presidents at the same time",
considers Armen Rustamyan.

He already has facts that some high-ranking officials abuse their
positions. They are gathering facts and if those officials do not quit
their illegal activities, they will announce the names of perpetrators,
date and place.

The ARF will punish those party members who will not obey the
headquarters’ orders. Armen Rustamyan also prioritized activity of
electorate: "We call electorate and other powers to follow their
electoral rights, since real elections can be anticipated by the
voters’ active participation".

"IMPROPER APPEAL"

Armen Rustamyan considers Yerevan Mayor’s appeal not to hold gatherings
improper. "We will not obey the Mayor’s appeal. Armenia is in the
pre-election process and all officials should realize that political
powers should use their legal and constitutional competences properly".

The ARF is ready to shift the field; particularly it has experience
in working in oppositional and authorities’ fields. "We have been in
both fields, while altering the fields we do not later our principles
and ideas, we change only methods".

Armen Rustamyan also underlined the essence of victory. "But it is
more important how real the victory will be".