ARMENIAN TV SHOWS CAMPAIGN ADVERTS FOR PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES

Public TV
Jan 23 2008
Armenia

Armenian Public TV showed campaign adverts for several presidential
candidates on 26 January. The television showed Armenia’s first
president and presidential candidate, Levon Ter-Petrosyan, criticizing
the current Armenian authorities. Ter-Petrosyan accused the authorities
of fraud while importing petrol and gas, blamed them for the October
1999 attack on the parliament and other assassinations.

Ter-Petrosyan said that if he is elected, he will restore
constitutional order in the country. He added that he will create
equal conditions for businessmen and secure free competition.

He said that he will improve the social welfare of the population,
treble salaries and quadruple pensions.

Speaking about the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict, Ter-Petrosyan said that
he will do everything possible not to resume hostilities in Karabakh.

The television also showed Ter-Petrosyan’s campaign advert saying that
he will hold a campaign meeting in the town of Talin on 27 January.

After that, Public TV showed presidential candidate Aram Harutyunyan,
the leader of the National Solidarity Party, calling on members of
the National Self-Determination Association (led by Paruyr Hayrikyan)
to support his candidacy in the presidential elections.

Also, a campaign advert was shown for the presidential candidate and
leader of the National Unity Party, Artashes Geghamyan.

Public TV then showed the presidential candidate and Armenian
deputy parliament speaker, Vahan Hovhannisyan, holding a meeting
with voters in Tavush Region on 25 January. Hovhannisyan said at
the meeting that the current authorities consider themselves to be
rulers and ordinary citizens to be servants. But in reality, it is the
authorities that should serve the people, he said. Hovhannisyan called
on voters to support the candidate from the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation-Dashnaktsutyun.

In turn, the presidential candidate and a former aide to the leader
of Azerbaijan’s breakaway region of Nagornyy Karabakh, Arman Melikyan,
was shown speaking about problems in the cultural sphere.

At the end, the television showed a meeting with voters held by the
presidential candidate and prime minister, Serzh Sargsyan, in Yerevan’s
Nor Nork community on 25 January. Sargsyan called on voters to take
an active part in the 19 February presidential election and vote for
people they trust. Addressing his supporters, Sargsyan said that he
needs their support in the presidential elections.