CAMPAIGN ADVERTS FOR PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES BROADCAST ON ARMENIAN PUBLIC TV

Public TV, Armenia
Jan 31 2008

The television showed the leader of the National Democratic Union
and presidential candidate, Vazgen Manukyan, holding a meeting with
young people. Manukyan called on the youth to be "free", "not to be
anyone’s prisoner" and "not to create idols for themselves".

Armenian Public TV also showed the presidential candidate Aram
Harutyunyan, the leader of the National Solidarity Party, speaking
on the need to adopt a law on opposition, which will document the
rights of the opposition. Harutyunyan called on Armenian citizens to
vote for him because he "will be not just a president for everyone,
but also for each person".

The television showed the former Armenian president and presidential
candidate, Levon Ter-Petrosyan, holding his election campaign in
Gegharkunik Region of Armenia on 30 January. Ter-Petrosyan was shown
commenting on Armenian President Robert Kocharyan’s recent statements
that Ter-Petrosyan is going to establish "brotherly" relations with
Azerbaijan. Ter-Petrosyan said that establishing good neighbourly
relations with Azerbaijan does not mean having brotherly relations.

"Our task is to document Nagornyy Karabakh’s free Armenian existence
in an international agreement, to guarantee its security, to guarantee
its freedom, to ensure its economic development and prosperity and to
normalize our relations with all our neighbours," Ter-Petrosyan said.

Then the television showed the election advert for the presidential
candidate and former foreign minister of Azerbaijan’s breakaway region
of Nagornyy Karabakh, Arman Melikyan. The advert showed an Armenian
citizen, Eranuhi Husyan, speaking about Armenian women following the
tradition of obeying their husbands and establishing happy families.

After that, the television showed the election advert for the leader
of the National Unity Party and presidential candidate, Artashes
Geghamyan. The advert included archive footage of Geghamyan’s speech
at a news conference saying that the Armenian Pan-National Movement,
which ruled the country from 1991 to 1998, organized provocations
regarding the murders of six people in May 1990 in Yerevan. The advert
included archive footage of the 1990 events.

The television also showed the election advert for the Armenian prime
minister and leader of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia, Serzh
Sargsyan. Armenian singer Shushan Petrosyan was shown saying that she
will vote for Sargsyan. Sargsyan was shown speaking at his election
rally in the town of Ashtarak on 30 January. He called on people to
vote for him in the presidential elections, the same way they voted
for the Republican Party of Armenia in the parliamentary elections
in 2007. The advert showed people in the street saying that they will
vote for Sargsyan.

Public TV also showed the leader of the Orinats Yerkir (Law-Governed
Country) Party and presidential candidate, Artur Baghdasaryan, who
spoke about the provisions of his election manifesto: freedom and
peace, justice, safety and security of citizens and the country,
active employment policy, the struggle against corruption, decent
salaries and pensions, education and health. The advert also showed
several people who spoke in favour of Baghdasaryan.

After that, the presidential candidate from the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation – Dashnaktsutyun and Armenian deputy parliament speaker,
Vahan Hovhannisyan, was shown speaking at a news conference and saying
that the number of agreements, which Dashnaktsutyun has started signing
with citizens ahead of the election campaign to secure their support
for Dashnaktsutyun, has exceeded 170,000.

Hovhannisyan said that he will make it into the second round of the
elections and will not support any candidate in the second round
of elections, denying reports that Dashnaktsutyun will support the
ruling authorities in the second round of the presidential elections.

Hovhannisyan called on citizens to defend their right to secret ballot.

At the end, the leader of the People’s Party and owner of ALM Holding
and presidential candidate, Tigran Karapetyan, was shown visiting rural
communities in Armenia. Video showed people saying that Karapetyan
is the only person who was with the people even before the election
campaign.