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ARMENIAN OPPOSITION SET TO FORM NEW BLOC AHEAD OF POLLS - PAPER
Aravot, Yerevan
18 Apr 06
Text of Naira Mamikonyan's report in Armenian newspaper Aravot on
18 April headlined "There are candidates to the posts of Armenian
president and prime minister from the opposition".
The formats functioning in the opposition field and the blocs
Justice, 17+ and others seem to have exhausted themselves since
the constitutional referendum held in November 2005. At present the
opposition is searching for new "formats".
It has recently become clear that a new public organization will
be set up in the opposition field. According to some reports,
this organization will unite some officials from the 17+ bloc who
are trying to form a new format ahead of the [2007] parliamentary
election. The National Democratic Union [NDU] and the Heritage Party
will be the pivot of the new format, and [NDU leader] Vazgen Manukyan
and [Heritage Party leader] Raffi Ovanesyan, who are popular with the
public, will lead it. Some opposition circles are working to bring
closer these two parties. They even say it will be the ideal option
if at the parliamentary and, why not, [2008] presidential elections
Manukyan and Ovanesyan come forward together as candidates to the
posts of president and prime minister.
The secretary of the Heritage Party, Vardan Khachatryan, said it
was very much doubtful: "I cannot say that there are discussions in
place. We have simply discussed the unification of the opposition
forces within 17+ after the constitutional referendum."
Khachatryan added that at present the opposition was looking into fraud
at the constitutional referendum and was preparing to file cases of
human rights violation at the European Court [of Human Rights].
Vazgen Manukyan said that a possible bloc with Ovanesyan was unreal
and added: "There are different relations between different officials
within the opposition. At present it is senseless to speak about the
elections although we are discussing different formats within the
opposition. I can add nothing."
Aravot, Yerevan
18 Apr 06
Text of Naira Mamikonyan's report in Armenian newspaper Aravot on
18 April headlined "There are candidates to the posts of Armenian
president and prime minister from the opposition".
The formats functioning in the opposition field and the blocs
Justice, 17+ and others seem to have exhausted themselves since
the constitutional referendum held in November 2005. At present the
opposition is searching for new "formats".
It has recently become clear that a new public organization will
be set up in the opposition field. According to some reports,
this organization will unite some officials from the 17+ bloc who
are trying to form a new format ahead of the [2007] parliamentary
election. The National Democratic Union [NDU] and the Heritage Party
will be the pivot of the new format, and [NDU leader] Vazgen Manukyan
and [Heritage Party leader] Raffi Ovanesyan, who are popular with the
public, will lead it. Some opposition circles are working to bring
closer these two parties. They even say it will be the ideal option
if at the parliamentary and, why not, [2008] presidential elections
Manukyan and Ovanesyan come forward together as candidates to the
posts of president and prime minister.
The secretary of the Heritage Party, Vardan Khachatryan, said it
was very much doubtful: "I cannot say that there are discussions in
place. We have simply discussed the unification of the opposition
forces within 17+ after the constitutional referendum."
Khachatryan added that at present the opposition was looking into fraud
at the constitutional referendum and was preparing to file cases of
human rights violation at the European Court [of Human Rights].
Vazgen Manukyan said that a possible bloc with Ovanesyan was unreal
and added: "There are different relations between different officials
within the opposition. At present it is senseless to speak about the
elections although we are discussing different formats within the
opposition. I can add nothing."