STEPAN DEMIRCHIAN CONSIDERS PROBABLE LEVON TER-PETROSIAN’S WINNING
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS IN VERY FIRST TOUR

YEREVAN, JANUARY 18, NOYAN TAPAN. In case of working well first
Armenian President Levon Ter-Petrosian will win the presidential
elections in the very first tour. Stepan Demirchian, the Chairman of
the People’s Party of Armenia, expressed such an opinion at the January
18 press conference.

According to him, PPA supports L. Ter-Petrosian’s candidature, as the
programs of PPA and the latter are mainly harmonious with each other.
S. Demirchian attached importance to the liquidation of the atmosphere
of intolerance in the country after the elections, disclosure of crimes
committed in the past irrespective of the circumstance who has
committed them. According to him, the crimes committed under the
previous regime are spoken about for more than ten years, however, no
one has been punished so far. He emphasized that L. Ter-Petrosian is
the only one among the candidates for presidency, whose program
includes complete disclosure of the terrorist act of October 27. S.
Demirchian said that PPA can have some disagreements with L.
Ter-Petrosian’s program, but the secondary issues should be
subordinated to the main one, that is, liquidation of the clan system.

According to S. Demirchian, it would be naivety to suppose that the
authorities having experience of rigging elections are going to hold
free and fair elections this time. "I think this time it will be
impossible to appoint someone President," the PPA Chairman said
meanwhile. Asked why that was possible in the previous elections, S.
Demirchian said that this time the opposition’s actions will be more
organized and purposeful, proper control of elections’ process will be
ensured. In his words, his failure in the 2003 elections was not his,
but the country’s failure.