RUSSIAN AUTHORITIES HAVE NOT MET WITH ARMENIAN OPPOSITION CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENCY TER-PETROSIAN
ARKA News Agency
Feb 13 2008
Armenia
YEREVAN, February 13. /ARKA/. The representatives of higher echelons
of power in Russia have not met with the opposition candidate for
presidency ex-president of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosian who visited
Moscow this week, a source of RIA Novosti agency reports.
Referring to the election campaign office of Ter-Petrosian the Russian
"Komersant" newspaper reported earlier Wednesday that Ter-Petrosian
has been received by the first Vice-Premier of Russia and presidential
contender Dmitry Medvedev.
"Nobody from the Russian authorities met with Ter-Petrosian. Leonid
Gozman (Deputy Head of the political council of the Russian "Soyuz
Pravix Sil" (Union of Right Forces) has been the highest political
level of Ter-Petrosian’s meetings in Moscow," the source reported.
The presidential elections are to be held in Armenia on February 19.
The following nine candidates are to run for presidency in the
elections: the Prime-Minister and the leader of the Republican Party
of Armenia Serge Sargsian, the leader of "Orinats Yerkir" (Country
of Law) party Arthur Baghdasarian, the leader of the People’s Party
Tigran Karapetian, the first president of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosian,
the leader of the "National Unity" Artashes Geghamian, the Chairman
of the "National Accord" party Aram Harutiunian, the Vice-Speaker of
the Armenian Parliament and member of the Bureau of ARF Dashnaktsutiun
Vahan Hovhannisian, the leader of the National Democratic Union Vazgen
Manukian and former FM of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Arman Melikian.
Ter-Petrosian who hopes to consolidate the opposition electorate
and to challenge the favorite of the race Premier Sargsian blames
the current authorities of Armenia for preventing him from a normal
election campaign and promises to hold protect actions after the
outcome of the voting is announced.