SERGE SARGSYAN’S ELECTION PROGRAM ENVISAGES STABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH TRENDS

ARKA News Agency
Jan 23 2008
Armenia

YEREVAN, January 23. /ARKA/. The election program of the presidential
nominee of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), RA Prime Minister
Serge Sargsyan envisages stable economic growth trends,Chairman
of the National Center of Applied Economics Sergey Bagratyan told
reporters, referring to an examination of the economic component of
Serge Sargsyan’s election program.

He pointed out that the program contains a comparison of the GDP
growth, exports and investments in 2000-2006 with the corresponding
indicators expected in 2006-2012.

"Under the program, the rates of development for the indicators
recorded during the two periods are identical," he said. Bagratyan
added that identical coefficients are applied to almost all the
figures indicated in the program for both 2000-2006 and 2012.

According to him, the most important novelty revealed as a result of
the examination is the readiness for the second stage of reforms.

However, Sargsyan’s election program does not contain any clearly
stated proposals for any specific steps as part of the second stage
of reforms," he said.

According to the election program of Serge Sargsyan on his official
website, the second stage of reforms will create better conditions
for business and investments in Armenia. According to the document,
economic management must not be an obstacle to business development,
but must facilitate the creation of equal conditions for development
and risk reduction.

The presidential election is to be held in Armenia on February 19.

The RA Central Electoral Commission (CEC) officially registered nine
presidential candidates: the Chairman of the Country of Law Party,
ex-speaker of the RA Parliament Artur Baghdasaryan, Chairman of the
Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), RA Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan,
Armenia’s first president Levon Ter-Petrosyan, Chairman of the
National Unity Party Artashes Geghamyan, Chairman of the National
Democratic Union Vazgen Manukyan, Vice-Speaker of the RA Parliament
Vahan Hovhannesyan, Chairman of the People’s Party Tigran Karapetyan,
Chairman of the National Accord Party Aram Harutyunyan, and the
former advisor to the President of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
Arman Melikyan.