BAGHDASARIAN ‘IN COALITION TALKS WITH SARKISIAN’
By Astghik Bedevian
Radio Liberty, Czech Republic
Feb 28 2008
Opposition leader Artur Baghdasarian is discussing with Prime Minister
Serzh Sarkisian the possibility of joining a new coalition government
which Armenia’s president-elect has pledged to form after taking
office, a pro-government lawmaker said on Thursday.
Sarkisian has offered to defuse rising political tensions in Armenia
by cutting a power-sharing deal with those "constructive" opposition
forces that will recognize his victory in last week’s disputed
presidential election. He said on Wednesday that several of his
election challengers have responded positively to the offer.
In the words of Eduard Sharmazanov, a parliament deputy and spokesman
for Sarkisian’s Republican Party (HHK), those include Baghdasarian
and his Orinats Yerkir Party. "We are now discussing that with Orinats
Yerkir as well," he told reporters.
According to the government-controlled Central Election Commission,
Baghdasarian won over 16 percent of the vote, trailing both
Sarkisian and the main opposition candidate, former President Levon
Ter-Petrosian. The former parliament speaker on Tuesday described the
February 19 vote as deeply flawed but stopped short of challenging
the legitimacy of Sarkisian’s victory. He promised to ascertain his
and his party’s position by Thursday.
Baghdasarian and other Orinats Yerkir leaders were meeting late in
the evening to discuss their next steps. An Orinats Yerkir spokeswoman
said their decision will be submitted to the party’s larger governing
board which is scheduled to meet on Friday. She did not deny that the
issue of teaming up with Sarkisian is on the agenda of the discussions.
Orinats Yerkir Party was already a member of Armenia’s governing
coalition from 2003-2006.