ARMENIAN POLITICIANS DO NOT TAKE BAGDASARIAN’S CLAIMS ABOUT THREATS TO HIS LIFE SERIOUSLY

Interfax
Russia & CIS General Newswire
February 4, 2008 Monday 9:54 PM MSK

The statement by Armenian presidential candidate and leader of the
Orinats Yerkir Party Artur Bagdasarian about a threat to his life
are mere populism, said MP Eduard Sharmazanov, the press secretary
of the Armenian Republican Party.

"This is a sort of PR campaign and cannot be taken seriously, because
if there was a real threat to his life Bagdasarian would have contacted
Armenian law enforcement bodies," Sharmazanov told Interfax on Monday.

The public is already used to seeing some of the candidates make
sensational statements in a bid to win the race instead of doing
something useful, he said.

Bagdasarian’s statement is just a campaign trick, said another
presidential candidate, Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan. "If
something like this had actually taken place, he might have contacted
law enforcement bodies. I made enquiries, no such report was ever
received," the prime minister said.

Armenian Prosecutor General Agvan Ovsepian ordered an investigation
on Monday to examine the circumstances, which led Bagdasarian to
make such a statement, the Armenian Prosecutor General’s Office
told Interfax. There was no request from Bagdasarian himself, the
prosecution spokesperson said.

Speaking at a rally to a few thousand people in Yerevan on February 3,
Bagdasarian stated that "threats of assassination" were made against
him the day before. "I am ready to die for Armenia," Bagdasarian said,
adding that if anything ever happens to him, responsibility will rest
with the current authorities. "My aides will soon name the persons
who are voicing these threats," the politician said.