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ANC AND PROSPEROUS ARMENIA: COUNTER MOVEMENT
Vestnik Kavkaza
Nov 9 2012
Russia
Susanna Petrosian, Yerevan. Exclusively for Vestnik Kavkaza
An awareness campaign focusing on the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP)
and in particular on its attitude towards the format of participation
in the upcoming presidential election, was launched in Armenia. The
initiators of the campaign, which was accompanied by a barely
concealed nervousness, were representatives of the ruling Republican
Party of Armenia (RPA), state-controlled "independent" experts and
"independent" media.
The excitement was caused by two factors. Firstly, the PAP maintained
a stubborn silence about its participation in the elections. Secondly,
the coordinator of the opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC),
Levon Zurabyan, named the ANC and PAP as two most influential
political forces in Armenia, which through cooperation can bring
about the elimination of the existing regime.
According to numerous statements made by the Republican Party, in
the presidential election the PAP will not be able compete against
the Republican Party and Serzh Sargsyan will win the elections. In
addition, the party functionaries of the RPA believe that a memorandum
signed in February 2011 by three former members of the ruling coalition
- the Republican Party, PAP and the "Rule of Law" party remains in
force. According to the memorandum, these forces have pledged to vote
for a single candidate. The ruling party believes that a statement
about the participation of its own candidate in the presidential
elections would actually be a denouncement of the memorandum of
support for a single candidate - i.e. Sargsyan.
The vice-chairman of the Republican Party, the Minister of Education
and Science Armen Ashotyan, said that the memorandum was signed
by PAP leader Gagik Tsarukyan and it will become invalid only if
Tsarukyan declares it invalid, which he has not done yet. Armenian
Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan did not rule out that the RPA and
PAP will sign a new memorandum or agreement to support the current
president in the upcoming presidential election.
For a long time the PAP representatives did not respond to any of
the allegations of the Republicans, experts and publications in the
state-controlled media claiming that PAP will support the candidacy of
the president. However, the mention of the existing memorandum forced
PAP to break the silence. A member of the parliamentary faction, Vahe
Hovhannisyan, said that in light of the growing popularity of the party
among the population the coalition memorandum is just part of history.
The secretary of the Prosperous Armenia party, Naira Zohrabyan, said
that although PAP had not yet taken the decision to advance its own
candidate at the presidential election, she would suggest thatGagik
Tsarukyan should run for the presidency.
The statement by Levon Zurabyan has also shaken the authorities and
created a surge in the number of articles aimed at discrediting the
cooperation between Zurabyan and Tsakuryan. It is already a year since
the famous political analyst Ter-Petrosyan urged all political forces
in the country to unite in order to fight the regime of Sargsyan.
On 6th May 2012 Prosperous Armenia participated in the parliamentary
elections on its own, despite the memorandum signed on 17th February
2011, according to which it was supposed to participate in the
elections together with the Republican Party. As a result of the
parliamentary elections, PAP refused to join the ruling coalition and
declared itself to be an alternative political force to the Republican
Party in the autumn municipal elections. The experts think that an
alliance between the ANC and PAP is highly possible.
Vestnik Kavkaza
Nov 9 2012
Russia
Susanna Petrosian, Yerevan. Exclusively for Vestnik Kavkaza
An awareness campaign focusing on the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP)
and in particular on its attitude towards the format of participation
in the upcoming presidential election, was launched in Armenia. The
initiators of the campaign, which was accompanied by a barely
concealed nervousness, were representatives of the ruling Republican
Party of Armenia (RPA), state-controlled "independent" experts and
"independent" media.
The excitement was caused by two factors. Firstly, the PAP maintained
a stubborn silence about its participation in the elections. Secondly,
the coordinator of the opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC),
Levon Zurabyan, named the ANC and PAP as two most influential
political forces in Armenia, which through cooperation can bring
about the elimination of the existing regime.
According to numerous statements made by the Republican Party, in
the presidential election the PAP will not be able compete against
the Republican Party and Serzh Sargsyan will win the elections. In
addition, the party functionaries of the RPA believe that a memorandum
signed in February 2011 by three former members of the ruling coalition
- the Republican Party, PAP and the "Rule of Law" party remains in
force. According to the memorandum, these forces have pledged to vote
for a single candidate. The ruling party believes that a statement
about the participation of its own candidate in the presidential
elections would actually be a denouncement of the memorandum of
support for a single candidate - i.e. Sargsyan.
The vice-chairman of the Republican Party, the Minister of Education
and Science Armen Ashotyan, said that the memorandum was signed
by PAP leader Gagik Tsarukyan and it will become invalid only if
Tsarukyan declares it invalid, which he has not done yet. Armenian
Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan did not rule out that the RPA and
PAP will sign a new memorandum or agreement to support the current
president in the upcoming presidential election.
For a long time the PAP representatives did not respond to any of
the allegations of the Republicans, experts and publications in the
state-controlled media claiming that PAP will support the candidacy of
the president. However, the mention of the existing memorandum forced
PAP to break the silence. A member of the parliamentary faction, Vahe
Hovhannisyan, said that in light of the growing popularity of the party
among the population the coalition memorandum is just part of history.
The secretary of the Prosperous Armenia party, Naira Zohrabyan, said
that although PAP had not yet taken the decision to advance its own
candidate at the presidential election, she would suggest thatGagik
Tsarukyan should run for the presidency.
The statement by Levon Zurabyan has also shaken the authorities and
created a surge in the number of articles aimed at discrediting the
cooperation between Zurabyan and Tsakuryan. It is already a year since
the famous political analyst Ter-Petrosyan urged all political forces
in the country to unite in order to fight the regime of Sargsyan.
On 6th May 2012 Prosperous Armenia participated in the parliamentary
elections on its own, despite the memorandum signed on 17th February
2011, according to which it was supposed to participate in the
elections together with the Republican Party. As a result of the
parliamentary elections, PAP refused to join the ruling coalition and
declared itself to be an alternative political force to the Republican
Party in the autumn municipal elections. The experts think that an
alliance between the ANC and PAP is highly possible.