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Will Opposition Forces Jointly Participate in the Yerevan City Council
Election?
March 7 2013
Applying to 4 political forces - the Armenian National Congress (ANC),
the Heritage Party, the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP), and the
Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) - Levon Zurabyan, the ANC
coordinator, made an offer yesterday to jointly participate in the
Yerevan City Council election. www.aravot.am has found out during a
conversation with the representatives of the above-mentioned parties
in what format they will participate in the city council election and
whether they are ready to accept the ANC offer. Ruben Hakobyan, the
Heritage Party parliamentary group leader, stated during a
conversation with us that they welcomed that offer and went into
detail: `If we unite, our movement will become stronger. We welcome
the idea to jointly participate in the city council election. We,
Raffi Hovhannisyan personally, have said that many times. Therefore, I
think that all constructive forces think that joining forces is a must
at this point.' In response to our question whether negotiations on
this issue were in progress, Mr. Hakobyan said: `A negotiating process
is currently under way, and it progresses quite effectively. It aims
at rallying everyone around the movement.' Naira Zohrabyan, the
secretary of the PAP parliamentary group, informed that the format of
participation in the Yerevan City Council election had not been
discussed in the PAP yet and added: `Let me not express my personal
opinion on this, since it is such an issue that a personal opinion is
not decisive. We will discuss the format of our participation in the
Yerevan City Council election in the party's political council and
will make public our position. It will probably happen on March
11-12.' Armen Hambardzumyan, the alternate representative of the ARF
Supreme Body, informed: `We haven't made a decision yet. The
discussions are under way, and I think the offer will also be
discussed in that context. However, I cannot tell when we will make
the final decision.' The ARF hasn't discussed that issue with the ANC
yet. In response to our question whether he deemed negotiations with
the ANC probable, A. Hambardzumyan said: `We have our approaches and
views; if we deem them adequate to those, I don't rule them out.
However, we don't have any clear position on that issue yet, also
given the fact that the statement on behalf of the ANC initiative
group was made as late as yesterday evening.' Lyudmila Sargsyan, a
member of the ANC parliamentary group, stated: `If there is a
possibility of broad consolidation of opposition forces, the issue of
participation in the city council election will be discussed. That is
the parliamentary group's opinion. However, nothing is clear yet. If
it is possible to participate with a common list of the whole
opposition camp, then there is an opinion that it is worth
participating.' There are opinions that the ANC made such an offer,
realizing that this election would be risky for it. In response to
this observation, Ms. Sargsyan said: `It is not so. We realize quite
well that the most important elections for our country are
presidential elections, during which the people are unprecedentedly
active. However, we realized that there was no possibility in the
country these days for the opposition to actually win. The opposition
has always defeated the government in presidential elections. As for
the city council election, it will also be an event, at which the
Republican Party will once again score a victory. It is my personal
opinion; there are also other opinions, according to which
participation is possible in case of broad consolidation. As for the
ANC, I don't think there is any other powerful force in the opposition
camp, except for the ANC.' Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
Read more at: http://en.aravot.am/2013/03/07/152806/
© 1998 - 2013 Aravot - News from Armenia
Election?
March 7 2013
Applying to 4 political forces - the Armenian National Congress (ANC),
the Heritage Party, the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP), and the
Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) - Levon Zurabyan, the ANC
coordinator, made an offer yesterday to jointly participate in the
Yerevan City Council election. www.aravot.am has found out during a
conversation with the representatives of the above-mentioned parties
in what format they will participate in the city council election and
whether they are ready to accept the ANC offer. Ruben Hakobyan, the
Heritage Party parliamentary group leader, stated during a
conversation with us that they welcomed that offer and went into
detail: `If we unite, our movement will become stronger. We welcome
the idea to jointly participate in the city council election. We,
Raffi Hovhannisyan personally, have said that many times. Therefore, I
think that all constructive forces think that joining forces is a must
at this point.' In response to our question whether negotiations on
this issue were in progress, Mr. Hakobyan said: `A negotiating process
is currently under way, and it progresses quite effectively. It aims
at rallying everyone around the movement.' Naira Zohrabyan, the
secretary of the PAP parliamentary group, informed that the format of
participation in the Yerevan City Council election had not been
discussed in the PAP yet and added: `Let me not express my personal
opinion on this, since it is such an issue that a personal opinion is
not decisive. We will discuss the format of our participation in the
Yerevan City Council election in the party's political council and
will make public our position. It will probably happen on March
11-12.' Armen Hambardzumyan, the alternate representative of the ARF
Supreme Body, informed: `We haven't made a decision yet. The
discussions are under way, and I think the offer will also be
discussed in that context. However, I cannot tell when we will make
the final decision.' The ARF hasn't discussed that issue with the ANC
yet. In response to our question whether he deemed negotiations with
the ANC probable, A. Hambardzumyan said: `We have our approaches and
views; if we deem them adequate to those, I don't rule them out.
However, we don't have any clear position on that issue yet, also
given the fact that the statement on behalf of the ANC initiative
group was made as late as yesterday evening.' Lyudmila Sargsyan, a
member of the ANC parliamentary group, stated: `If there is a
possibility of broad consolidation of opposition forces, the issue of
participation in the city council election will be discussed. That is
the parliamentary group's opinion. However, nothing is clear yet. If
it is possible to participate with a common list of the whole
opposition camp, then there is an opinion that it is worth
participating.' There are opinions that the ANC made such an offer,
realizing that this election would be risky for it. In response to
this observation, Ms. Sargsyan said: `It is not so. We realize quite
well that the most important elections for our country are
presidential elections, during which the people are unprecedentedly
active. However, we realized that there was no possibility in the
country these days for the opposition to actually win. The opposition
has always defeated the government in presidential elections. As for
the city council election, it will also be an event, at which the
Republican Party will once again score a victory. It is my personal
opinion; there are also other opinions, according to which
participation is possible in case of broad consolidation. As for the
ANC, I don't think there is any other powerful force in the opposition
camp, except for the ANC.' Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
Read more at: http://en.aravot.am/2013/03/07/152806/
© 1998 - 2013 Aravot - News from Armenia