ARA ABRAHAMIAN WISHES SERGE SARGSIAN TO BE ELECTED RA PRESIDENT

Noyan Tapan
Feb 13, 2008

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 13, NOYAN TAPAN. Today Armenia plays an important
role in the issue of preservation of Armenian identity in the
Diaspora, and the Diaspora has great expectations that the forthcoming
presidential elections will be peaceful, transparent, within the law,
and the public will trust the elections results. Ara Abrahamian, the
Chairman of the Union of Armenians in Russia and the World Armenian
Congress, said on February 13, during the meeting with the members
of the presidium of the RA National Academy of Sciences.

Though A. Abrahamian being a RF citizen will not take part in the
Armenian elections, he has his precise position: highly evaluating
the professionalism and merits of all RA presidential candidates,
nevertheless he wishes the RA Prime Minister, RPA candidate Serge
Sargsian to be elected RA President. According to him, this position is
especially based on experience of nearly 10-year consistent, efficient
cooperation of Serge Sargsian with the RF authorities, his immediate
great contribution to development of Armenian-Russian interstate
relations, which is of much importance for 2.5m Armenians living in
Russia. A. Abrahamian also said that both the Union of Armenians in
Russia and personally he cannot support a RA presidential candidate,
who "imagines development of Armenian-Russian relations in other
directions." "Serge Sargsian’s policy is very clear, very exact," he
stated at the same time adding that the Armenians of Russia have much
expectations from the new Armenian President no matter who is elected.

A. Abrahamian said that many of over 300 thousand RA citizens residing
in RF have applied to the Union to find out the latter’s position on
the RA presidential elections. The Union’s Board discussing the issue
at its sitting held lately decided to apply to RA citizens living in
Russia with an appeal to vote with their conscience.

By the way, it should be mentioned that according to the amendments
made to the Electoral Code last year, no polling stations will function
in foreign states during RA state elections and only citizens being
in RA territory will use the right of voting on the voting day.

A. Abrahamian also expressed an opinion that when reading Armenian
press one forms the impression that Armenia is getting ready for not
elections but a bad event full of uncertainty, which "does no good
to the Armenian people."

According to him, the political forces should also realize that life
will go on after the elections.

The Chairman of the Union of Armenians in Russia and the World
Armenian Congress also touched upon the problem of Armenia’s economic
development. In his words, judging by the indices, a positive shift
can be recorded, but in comparison with other countries "we lag behind
very much." "We, Armenians, can do much more by using the potential
of the Diaspora and our foreign friends," A. Abrahamian said.