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ARMENIA-BASED HERITAGE PARTY LEADER MAIN CHALLENGER TO AUTHORITIES
TERT.AM
25.12.12
Styopa Safaryan, Political Secretary of the Heritage party, believes
that the party leader Raffi Hovannisian will stand higher chances in
the 2013 presidential election in Armenia after Levon Ter-Petrosyan,
Chairman of the opposition bloc Armenian National Congress (ANC),
announced his refusal to run for the presidency.
On the other hand, he points out higher risks. "Since a number of
political forces - both Prosperous Armenia and Levon Ter-Petrosyan -
have, all at once, made, so to say, direct or indirect steps to boycott
[the election], participation entails certain risks. And the Heritage
party, Raffi Hovannisian, as well as the political and public circles
supporting him, have to deal with this," Mr Safaryan told Tert.am.
Under the circumstances, Mr Hovannisian will become the main challenger
to Armenia's incumbent authorities.
In an interview with the Chorrord Inqnishkhanutyun newspaper, the
ANC leader explained that his nomination is hardly possible.
As regards the Heritage party's attitude to the nomination of Armenia's
ex-premier Hrant Bagratyan, Mr Safaryan said: "He noted his main
aim was disseminating liberal ideas and presenting this alternative
to the liberal sections. I view his nomination more as a step to
preserve the ANC electorate. Ter-Petrosyan indirectly contributed
to this by ruling out the nomination of any other candidate - be it
Levon Zurabyan or Nikol Pashinyan. The aim was to create favorable
conditions for Hrant Bagratyan."
According to Mr Safaryan, by making his statement the ANC leader
solved the problem of his successor. "Neither you [Levon Zurabyan]
nor he [Nikol Pashinyan]. By delaying his decision as long as possible
he actually got Hrant Bagratyan nominated at the ANC congress."
As regards the reasons for the ANC leader's decision, Mr Safaryan
repeated that he considered Ter-Petrosyan was most unlikely to run
for the presidency for numerous reasons.
"First, it is not the best times for the ANC. Secondly, it would be
the second attempt for Levon Ter-Petrosyan, and the hopes placed on
him are not the hopes placed on him in 2008, and so on. Also, the
disappointment at what is called elections. Expectations naturally
created a socio-political environment for Ter-Petrosyan," Mr Safaryan
said.
The ANC leader himself is well aware of that his speeches at the
ANC rallies in recent years "showed hints, even if veiled ones,
at problems within the ANC."
In the long run, the ANC leader made a decision that would cause him
less damage than one on nomination.
As regards the "age reasons," Mr Safaryan said: "I would not like
to rule out this factor... It is obvious, however, that there is a
problem of political age, and Ter-Petrosyan can feel it very well."
He pointed out the problem of Levon Ter-Petrosyan's accurate political
calculations, which may be the actual reason for his "political age"
or rather a change of political generations.
TERT.AM
25.12.12
Styopa Safaryan, Political Secretary of the Heritage party, believes
that the party leader Raffi Hovannisian will stand higher chances in
the 2013 presidential election in Armenia after Levon Ter-Petrosyan,
Chairman of the opposition bloc Armenian National Congress (ANC),
announced his refusal to run for the presidency.
On the other hand, he points out higher risks. "Since a number of
political forces - both Prosperous Armenia and Levon Ter-Petrosyan -
have, all at once, made, so to say, direct or indirect steps to boycott
[the election], participation entails certain risks. And the Heritage
party, Raffi Hovannisian, as well as the political and public circles
supporting him, have to deal with this," Mr Safaryan told Tert.am.
Under the circumstances, Mr Hovannisian will become the main challenger
to Armenia's incumbent authorities.
In an interview with the Chorrord Inqnishkhanutyun newspaper, the
ANC leader explained that his nomination is hardly possible.
As regards the Heritage party's attitude to the nomination of Armenia's
ex-premier Hrant Bagratyan, Mr Safaryan said: "He noted his main
aim was disseminating liberal ideas and presenting this alternative
to the liberal sections. I view his nomination more as a step to
preserve the ANC electorate. Ter-Petrosyan indirectly contributed
to this by ruling out the nomination of any other candidate - be it
Levon Zurabyan or Nikol Pashinyan. The aim was to create favorable
conditions for Hrant Bagratyan."
According to Mr Safaryan, by making his statement the ANC leader
solved the problem of his successor. "Neither you [Levon Zurabyan]
nor he [Nikol Pashinyan]. By delaying his decision as long as possible
he actually got Hrant Bagratyan nominated at the ANC congress."
As regards the reasons for the ANC leader's decision, Mr Safaryan
repeated that he considered Ter-Petrosyan was most unlikely to run
for the presidency for numerous reasons.
"First, it is not the best times for the ANC. Secondly, it would be
the second attempt for Levon Ter-Petrosyan, and the hopes placed on
him are not the hopes placed on him in 2008, and so on. Also, the
disappointment at what is called elections. Expectations naturally
created a socio-political environment for Ter-Petrosyan," Mr Safaryan
said.
The ANC leader himself is well aware of that his speeches at the
ANC rallies in recent years "showed hints, even if veiled ones,
at problems within the ANC."
In the long run, the ANC leader made a decision that would cause him
less damage than one on nomination.
As regards the "age reasons," Mr Safaryan said: "I would not like
to rule out this factor... It is obvious, however, that there is a
problem of political age, and Ter-Petrosyan can feel it very well."
He pointed out the problem of Levon Ter-Petrosyan's accurate political
calculations, which may be the actual reason for his "political age"
or rather a change of political generations.