OPPOSITION IN ARMENIA EXISTS, SAYS POLITICAL SCIENTISTS UNION PRESIDENT
Tert
Nov 18 2009
Armenia
According to Political Scientists Union President Hmayak Hovhannisyan,
there is opposition in Armenia because, despite shortcomings, our
country is authoritative, whereas in totalitarian systems, there is
no opposition.
Speaking with journalists today, Hovhannisyan stated, "There is
opposition today; it’s not mandatory for it to be the same."
Hovhannisyan made a reference to Levon Ter-Petrossian’s speech,
noting that the first president had stressed that there’s opposition
today, adding it comes in two forms: those leaning toward the Armenian
National Congress and those leaning toward the Armenian Cause ("Hay
Dat"). Meanwhile, Hovhannisyan spoke about the political footwork in
choosing an opposition leader.
"Though the issue of an opposition leader is not decided by the
ambitions of this or that opposition party or force, in a political
sense, the issue of an opposition leader is decided as a result of
the presidential elections. That is, if extraordinary presidential
elections don’t take place in the coming two years, no one has the
right, politically speaking, to place Levon Ter-Petrossian’s role,
as opposition leader, into doubt, because he took second place in
the elections’ official results; [Armenian Revolutionary Federation]
Dashnaktsutyun’s candidate was not in second place," announced
Hovhannisyan.