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NEW OPPOSITION ALLIANCE 'FINALIZED'
http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article/24518086.html
16.03.2012
Armenia - Zharangutyun (Heritage) party leader Raffi Hovannisian
addresses a congress of the opposition Free Democtats party in Yerevan,
16 March 2012.
Two opposition political parties on Friday appeared to have moved even
closer to setting up an alliance that would be a major contender in
Armenia's upcoming parliamentary elections.
Leaders of the Free Democrats party said their month-long negotiations
with the Zharangutyun (Heritage) party of former Foreign Minister
Raffi Hovannisian are nearing completion.
"There is now nothing standing in the way of our alliance," one of
them, Ararat Zurabian, told reporters. "No issue prevents us from
acting together."
"There is only one technical issue: a meeting of Zharangutyun's board
will take place on March 18, after which things will be formalized and,
I think, we will make an announcement about this," he said.
"The matter is solved by 99 percent, and unless there is a nuclear war
or something like that, rest assured that this process will be brought
to a logical conclusion," he added, speaking after a pre-election
congress of the Free Democrats that authorized the party leadership
to join forces with other opposition groups.
Hovannisian, who delivered a speech at the congress, again sounded
more cautious on the matter. But he did hint that the creation of
Zharangutyun-Free Democrats alliance is imminent.
"I think the process is open to free interpretation by various
individuals and forces," Hovannisian told RFE/RL's Armenian
service (Azatutyun.am). "We should just be consistent, determined,
single-minded, and I believe we will achieve that goal."
Khachatur Kokobelian, the Free Democrats chairman, said he believes
that the would-be bloc's list of election candidates should be topped
by the Zharangutyun leader.
The Free Democrats party was set up last year by Zurabian, Kokobelian,
former Foreign Minister Alexander Arzumanian and other politicians
who split from the opposition Armenian National Congress (HAK). They
are believed to have fallen out with HAK leader Levon Ter-Petrosian.
Incidentally, some top HAK figures, notably former Prime Minister
Aram Sarkisian, attended the congress as guests along with leaders
of other opposition groups.
By contrast, the Free Democrats sent no formal invitations to any
of the three parties represented in Armenia's government. "We have
invited only those forces which we believe do not impede Armenia's
democratization," explained Kokobelian.
Still, former Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian, who joined the
governing Prosperous Armenia Party last month, was present at the
pre-election gathering. Arzumanian said Oskanian was invited in his
personal capacity.
From: Baghdasarian
http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article/24518086.html
16.03.2012
Armenia - Zharangutyun (Heritage) party leader Raffi Hovannisian
addresses a congress of the opposition Free Democtats party in Yerevan,
16 March 2012.
Two opposition political parties on Friday appeared to have moved even
closer to setting up an alliance that would be a major contender in
Armenia's upcoming parliamentary elections.
Leaders of the Free Democrats party said their month-long negotiations
with the Zharangutyun (Heritage) party of former Foreign Minister
Raffi Hovannisian are nearing completion.
"There is now nothing standing in the way of our alliance," one of
them, Ararat Zurabian, told reporters. "No issue prevents us from
acting together."
"There is only one technical issue: a meeting of Zharangutyun's board
will take place on March 18, after which things will be formalized and,
I think, we will make an announcement about this," he said.
"The matter is solved by 99 percent, and unless there is a nuclear war
or something like that, rest assured that this process will be brought
to a logical conclusion," he added, speaking after a pre-election
congress of the Free Democrats that authorized the party leadership
to join forces with other opposition groups.
Hovannisian, who delivered a speech at the congress, again sounded
more cautious on the matter. But he did hint that the creation of
Zharangutyun-Free Democrats alliance is imminent.
"I think the process is open to free interpretation by various
individuals and forces," Hovannisian told RFE/RL's Armenian
service (Azatutyun.am). "We should just be consistent, determined,
single-minded, and I believe we will achieve that goal."
Khachatur Kokobelian, the Free Democrats chairman, said he believes
that the would-be bloc's list of election candidates should be topped
by the Zharangutyun leader.
The Free Democrats party was set up last year by Zurabian, Kokobelian,
former Foreign Minister Alexander Arzumanian and other politicians
who split from the opposition Armenian National Congress (HAK). They
are believed to have fallen out with HAK leader Levon Ter-Petrosian.
Incidentally, some top HAK figures, notably former Prime Minister
Aram Sarkisian, attended the congress as guests along with leaders
of other opposition groups.
By contrast, the Free Democrats sent no formal invitations to any
of the three parties represented in Armenia's government. "We have
invited only those forces which we believe do not impede Armenia's
democratization," explained Kokobelian.
Still, former Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian, who joined the
governing Prosperous Armenia Party last month, was present at the
pre-election gathering. Arzumanian said Oskanian was invited in his
personal capacity.
From: Baghdasarian