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No de jure boycott of presidential election in Armenia - expert
http://www.tert.am/en/news/2012/12/27/political-boycott/
21:48 - 27.12.12
No political force is de jure boycotting the 2013 presidential
election in Armenia because, besides the incumbent president, a number
of other presidential candidates have been registered, the political
engineer Armen Badalyan told Tert.am.
`There is a political boycott, however, chiefly by society because
society has come to realize that it is not actually involved in
forming Armenia's authorities. It used to struggle, but it is not
doing so now. As regards influential political forces, it is common
knowledge that Armenia's influential forces are the Republican Party
of Armenia, Prosperous Armenia Party and, to an extent, the opposition
bloc Armenian National Congress. The Armenian Revolutionary Federation
Dashnaktsutyun (ARF-D), Heritage party and Freedom party, all of which
are much weaker. And now, one of them - the two strong forces and one
relatively weak - has announced its participation, while the two
others have stated they are not participating,' Mr Badalyan said.
He explained the geopolitical reason for that. `The West demanded that
Armenia's authorities hold competitive elections and win them and
promised to turn a blind eye to frauds in exchange. I am sure that
election frauds will be practiced, which was the case during the
parliamentary elections, which turned into a large-scale financial
event. The same was during the by-elections. The West remained silent
both times and will do so after the incumbent president gains `a
decisive' victory,' the expert said.
Both the PAP and ANC realized this and refused to participate in the
presidential election and executed a tactical order by not allowing
the incumbent president to confirm his political legitimacy. `They
have just stripped Serzh Sargsyan of political legitimacy. One thing
is when the incumbent president defeats the PAP or the ANC, quite
another thing when he defeats an expert in epos,' Mr Badalyan said.
As regards the fact that the list of candidates also includes Chairman
of the Heritage party Raffi Hovannisian, and Chairman of the Freedom
party Hrant Bagratyan - the former plans to unite the opposition
forces, the latter, bearers of liberal ideas - the expert said: `Do
not let us forget that Hrant Bagratyan is only chairman of a party
that is part of the ANC, while Raffi Hovannisian has only two members
in Armenia's parliament. Ambitions are one thing, real influence is
quite another thing. Especially so Hrant Bagraryan has no intention to
win, but is just trying to resolve some personal problems.'
By `the expert in epos' Mr Badalyan means the whole process and all
the candidates, including Raffi Hovanissian and Hrant Bagratyan.
According to him, the presidential election is over in Armenia even
before it has begun, and `we will have a president that defeats an
expos expert, with all the ensuing consequences.'
As to whether the participation of the ANC leader and ARF-D would play
into the authorities' hands, Mr Badalyan said: `It is first of all
desirable that the PAP nominate its candidate. Or if it does not, an
ANC candidate could. I would not say the same of the ARF-D because
they are not so influential, but it could have been the last resort.'
As to whether Armenia's ruling party `breathed a sigh of relief' after
the PAP leader announced his decision, the expert said: `I doubt that
those who realized what had happened breathed a sigh of relief. Those
who did not realize did.'
From: A. Papazian
http://www.tert.am/en/news/2012/12/27/political-boycott/
21:48 - 27.12.12
No political force is de jure boycotting the 2013 presidential
election in Armenia because, besides the incumbent president, a number
of other presidential candidates have been registered, the political
engineer Armen Badalyan told Tert.am.
`There is a political boycott, however, chiefly by society because
society has come to realize that it is not actually involved in
forming Armenia's authorities. It used to struggle, but it is not
doing so now. As regards influential political forces, it is common
knowledge that Armenia's influential forces are the Republican Party
of Armenia, Prosperous Armenia Party and, to an extent, the opposition
bloc Armenian National Congress. The Armenian Revolutionary Federation
Dashnaktsutyun (ARF-D), Heritage party and Freedom party, all of which
are much weaker. And now, one of them - the two strong forces and one
relatively weak - has announced its participation, while the two
others have stated they are not participating,' Mr Badalyan said.
He explained the geopolitical reason for that. `The West demanded that
Armenia's authorities hold competitive elections and win them and
promised to turn a blind eye to frauds in exchange. I am sure that
election frauds will be practiced, which was the case during the
parliamentary elections, which turned into a large-scale financial
event. The same was during the by-elections. The West remained silent
both times and will do so after the incumbent president gains `a
decisive' victory,' the expert said.
Both the PAP and ANC realized this and refused to participate in the
presidential election and executed a tactical order by not allowing
the incumbent president to confirm his political legitimacy. `They
have just stripped Serzh Sargsyan of political legitimacy. One thing
is when the incumbent president defeats the PAP or the ANC, quite
another thing when he defeats an expert in epos,' Mr Badalyan said.
As regards the fact that the list of candidates also includes Chairman
of the Heritage party Raffi Hovannisian, and Chairman of the Freedom
party Hrant Bagratyan - the former plans to unite the opposition
forces, the latter, bearers of liberal ideas - the expert said: `Do
not let us forget that Hrant Bagratyan is only chairman of a party
that is part of the ANC, while Raffi Hovannisian has only two members
in Armenia's parliament. Ambitions are one thing, real influence is
quite another thing. Especially so Hrant Bagraryan has no intention to
win, but is just trying to resolve some personal problems.'
By `the expert in epos' Mr Badalyan means the whole process and all
the candidates, including Raffi Hovanissian and Hrant Bagratyan.
According to him, the presidential election is over in Armenia even
before it has begun, and `we will have a president that defeats an
expos expert, with all the ensuing consequences.'
As to whether the participation of the ANC leader and ARF-D would play
into the authorities' hands, Mr Badalyan said: `It is first of all
desirable that the PAP nominate its candidate. Or if it does not, an
ANC candidate could. I would not say the same of the ARF-D because
they are not so influential, but it could have been the last resort.'
As to whether Armenia's ruling party `breathed a sigh of relief' after
the PAP leader announced his decision, the expert said: `I doubt that
those who realized what had happened breathed a sigh of relief. Those
who did not realize did.'
From: A. Papazian