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VOTE 2013: TSARUKYAN-SARGSYAN REPORTEDLY MEET; PAP ANNOUNCEMENT SLATED FOR LATER THIS WEEK
News | 10.12.12 | 13:34
By Gohar Abrahamyan
ArmeniaNow reporter
Prior to the campaigns for president, the main focus of attention in
Armenia has been the long-anticipated and largely-speculated-upon
statement that the leader of the second biggest political force is
about to make. But before Gagik Tsarukyan would state his position in
the February elections, the Prosperous Armenia chairman reportedly met
the country leader upon return from his controversial visit to Europe.
According to RFE/RL's Armenian Service, "alternative" party leader
Tsarukyan and President Serzh Sargsyan had a meeting on Saturday at
the presidential residence, during which they discussed issues related
to the February 18 presidential elections.
Presidential spokesman Armen Arzumanyan in his interview to RFE/RL in
fact did not deny the news about the Tsarukyan-Sargsyan meeting and
said that "every day the president has numerous working meetings which
do not get publicized". Tsarukyan's spokesperson Iveta Tonoyan, on the
other hand, said she does not possess any information on an official
meeting.
Tsarukyan's statement that would shed light on his party's position -
whether it'll support the incumbent president's candidacy or have its
own candidate - has been delayed for weeks now and is promised to be
made by the end of this week.
Meanwhile Tsarukyan led his team to Brussels last week, where he made
election-related comments qualified by the ruling Republicans as
"shameful" for the sharp criticism they contained against Sargsyan's
administration.
PAP has released a preliminary statement, saying that during his visit
with European parliamentarians Tsarukyan criticized the current
authorities for the failure to fight corruption, saying that there
should be no expectation of curtailing corruption in Armenia so long
as the country itself was led by corrupt authorities. Later, however,
the party's official press release summing up the visit, gave a
different formulation, saying that "Gagik Tsarukyan expressed his
concerns over the mechanisms and effectiveness of the anti-corruption
fight".
Saturday the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Dashnaktsutyun
Bureau member Hrant Margaryan and ARF Supreme Board member Armen
Rustamyan, too, had a meeting and a long discussion with Sargsyan
about ARF's seven-point platform aimed at totally reforming and making
healthier the state-public and political life in Armenia. ARF press
secretary reports that the meeting concluded with an agreement to
continue the consultations.
As of Monday noon, the oppositional Armenian National Congress refused
to comment on these meetings, saying they are "busy preparing for the
march on the occasion of Human Rights Day" (December 10).
http://armenianow.com/news/41814/gagik_tsarukyan_serzh_sargsyan_armenia_presidentia l_election2013
News | 10.12.12 | 13:34
By Gohar Abrahamyan
ArmeniaNow reporter
Prior to the campaigns for president, the main focus of attention in
Armenia has been the long-anticipated and largely-speculated-upon
statement that the leader of the second biggest political force is
about to make. But before Gagik Tsarukyan would state his position in
the February elections, the Prosperous Armenia chairman reportedly met
the country leader upon return from his controversial visit to Europe.
According to RFE/RL's Armenian Service, "alternative" party leader
Tsarukyan and President Serzh Sargsyan had a meeting on Saturday at
the presidential residence, during which they discussed issues related
to the February 18 presidential elections.
Presidential spokesman Armen Arzumanyan in his interview to RFE/RL in
fact did not deny the news about the Tsarukyan-Sargsyan meeting and
said that "every day the president has numerous working meetings which
do not get publicized". Tsarukyan's spokesperson Iveta Tonoyan, on the
other hand, said she does not possess any information on an official
meeting.
Tsarukyan's statement that would shed light on his party's position -
whether it'll support the incumbent president's candidacy or have its
own candidate - has been delayed for weeks now and is promised to be
made by the end of this week.
Meanwhile Tsarukyan led his team to Brussels last week, where he made
election-related comments qualified by the ruling Republicans as
"shameful" for the sharp criticism they contained against Sargsyan's
administration.
PAP has released a preliminary statement, saying that during his visit
with European parliamentarians Tsarukyan criticized the current
authorities for the failure to fight corruption, saying that there
should be no expectation of curtailing corruption in Armenia so long
as the country itself was led by corrupt authorities. Later, however,
the party's official press release summing up the visit, gave a
different formulation, saying that "Gagik Tsarukyan expressed his
concerns over the mechanisms and effectiveness of the anti-corruption
fight".
Saturday the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Dashnaktsutyun
Bureau member Hrant Margaryan and ARF Supreme Board member Armen
Rustamyan, too, had a meeting and a long discussion with Sargsyan
about ARF's seven-point platform aimed at totally reforming and making
healthier the state-public and political life in Armenia. ARF press
secretary reports that the meeting concluded with an agreement to
continue the consultations.
As of Monday noon, the oppositional Armenian National Congress refused
to comment on these meetings, saying they are "busy preparing for the
march on the occasion of Human Rights Day" (December 10).
http://armenianow.com/news/41814/gagik_tsarukyan_serzh_sargsyan_armenia_presidentia l_election2013