VAHAN HOVHANNISIAN IS CONVINCED THAT THERE IS NO NOSTALGIA TO FORMER AUTHORITIES IN COUNTRY
Noyan Tapan
Jan 30, 2008
YEREVAN, JANUARY 30, NOYAN TAPAN. The residents of the Armenian
regions have an apprehension that they will be made to vote openly
in the presidential elections. As Vahan Hovhannisian, a candidate for
presidency, a member of the ARFD Bureau, mentioned at the January 30
press conference, he was informed about it during his meetings with
people within the 10 days of the election campaign. According to him,
in many populated areas people promise to vote for ARFD’s candidate
if that party ensures a possibility of secret ballot for them.
According to V. Hovhannisian, for the present, it is difficult to
say who is the leader in the election campaign. In his words, in one
place rally participants arrive by car columns, in another place are
brought with the help of the administrative resource, and both cases
are equally negative phenomena.
The ARFD’s candidate expressed confidence that there is no nostalgia
to the former authorities in the country. In his opinion, today’s
influence of the former authorities is conditioned by not the feeling
of love for them, but by the circumstance of being discontent
with the current authorities. In V. Hovhannisian’s words, the most
aggressive and simple part of voters not seeing a way out of the
formed situation is inclined to the pole, where it sees a possibility
of retribution. However, in his words, the main part is not disposed
this way: everybody wishes changes to be made, but avoid shocks.
V. Hovhannisian considered dangerous inclusion of populist promises
in some candidates’ programs. In particular, in his words, the talks
about forming a purely professional army in Armenia are inadmissible in
consideration of the country’s geopolitical position and the existence
of the unsolved conflict.
He expressed anxiety in connection with the circumstance that the
Russian political scientist permits himself to state that the
election of one of the candidates corresponds to his country’s
interests. According to V. Hovhannisian, the Armenian people can make
its choice independently and should not make Armenia a scene of fight
of others’ interests.