ORINATS YERKIR TO NOMINATE PARTY CHAIRMAN FOR PRESIDENTIAL BALLOT
ARMENPRESS
Oct 03 2007
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 3, ARMENPRESS: Artashes Avoyan, a parliament member
from the opposition Orinats Yerkir, said today his party would like
all opposition groups to rally around a single candidate to challenge
the pro-government contender in next year’s presidential election,
but added that the existence of several opposition candidates does
not upset his party.
He reconfirmed that Orinats Yerkir chairman, a former parliament
speaker Arthur Baghdasarian will join the presidential race. Avoyan
said the decision was made at last week meeting of the Orinats Yerkir
leadership. He said Orinats Yerkir will have a congress in mid November
to formally nominated Baghdasarian as a presidential candidate.
Avoyan avoided saying what his party would do in case there is a second
round of the election, but he admitted that the Orinats Yerkir and
the Armenian National Movement of ex-president Levon Ter-Petrosian
contacted and may have more contacts in future.
According to official results of Armenia’s May 12 parliamentary
elections, the Orinats Yerkir won eight seats in the 131-member
National Assembly, more than any other opposition group.