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ARMENIAN PARTIES KICK OFF ELECTION CAMPAIGN
By Ruzanna Khachatrian and Astghik Bedevian
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep
April 9 2007
Three of Armenia's leading political parties presented their manifestos
to the public on Monday one day after the official start of campaigning
for the May 12 parliamentary elections.
The governing Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) and
the opposition Orinats Yerkir (Country of Law) and the National Unity
(AMK) parties pledged to strengthen the rule of law and pay greater
attention to socioeconomic problems facing Armenians if they do well
in the vote.
Dashnaktsutyun leaders unveiled their election platform to hundreds of
supporters who gathered in central Yerevan. Many buildings in the city
center were already plastered with placards carrying the nationalist
party's campaign motto: "Our old friend is Dashnaktsutyun." The
Dashnaktsutyun-controlled Yerkir-Media television began airing video
of the party's campaign song on Sunday evening.
Dashnaktsutyun's senior partner in the governing coalition, the
Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), avoided any public events and
contented itself with airing campaign advertisements on television.
The HHK is widely regarded as the campaign frontrunner.
Its new leader, Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian, received Catholicos
Garegin II in his office on Monday. According to the government's
press service, the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church "blessed"
and congratulated Sarkisian on his appointment as prime minister.
Gagik Tsarukian, the leader of the pro-presidential Prosperous Armenia
Party (BHK), another top contender, reportedly visited Garegin and
received a similar blessing on Sunday. Tsarukian was due to deliver
a televised address to voters late on Monday.
Both the HHK and the BHK are accused by their rivals of having
kicked off their election campaigns several weeks ago in violation
of Armenia's Electoral Code. But their leaders deny this.
Meanwhile, about 300 Orinats Yerkir activists gathered in a conference
hall in Yerevan to attend the high-profile presentation of their
party's platform to the accompaniment of its official campaign
song. The song assures Armenians that Orinats Yerkir's founding leader,
Artur Baghdasarian, "will lead us to a country of law."
Orinats Yerkir promises, among other things, to cut taxes, combat
corruption, and introduce mandatory healthcare insurance and student
loans. The program also supports Armenia's eventual membership in the
European Union but stops short of calling for its accession to NATO.
Baghdasarian advocated NATO membership in a newspaper interview
last year.
"I've never spoken about Armenia's membership in NATO," the former
parliament speaker claimed on Monday. "I've only spoken about deepening
our ties with NATO."
Baghdasarian also said his party is popular enough to win a "very
serious percentage" of votes but avoided making more specific
forecasts.
Another major opposition contender, the AMK, held a news conference to
present its "anti-crisis program" that calls for a swift passage of
43 laws. Its leader, Artashes Geghamian, said they are essential for
improving what he called a severe economic situation in the country.
Asked about his electoral chances, Geghamian pointed to a recent
U.S.-funded opinion poll which he said put his public approval ratings
at between 54 and 58 percent. "I told my colleagues that if we don't
get at least half of that support [in the elections] it will mean
that we have performed very badly," he said.
Geghamian was also unexpectedly upbeat about the freedom and fairness
of the polls. He said the authorities realize that the opposition
will be "unable to restrain our people" if their results are falsified.
By Ruzanna Khachatrian and Astghik Bedevian
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep
April 9 2007
Three of Armenia's leading political parties presented their manifestos
to the public on Monday one day after the official start of campaigning
for the May 12 parliamentary elections.
The governing Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) and
the opposition Orinats Yerkir (Country of Law) and the National Unity
(AMK) parties pledged to strengthen the rule of law and pay greater
attention to socioeconomic problems facing Armenians if they do well
in the vote.
Dashnaktsutyun leaders unveiled their election platform to hundreds of
supporters who gathered in central Yerevan. Many buildings in the city
center were already plastered with placards carrying the nationalist
party's campaign motto: "Our old friend is Dashnaktsutyun." The
Dashnaktsutyun-controlled Yerkir-Media television began airing video
of the party's campaign song on Sunday evening.
Dashnaktsutyun's senior partner in the governing coalition, the
Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), avoided any public events and
contented itself with airing campaign advertisements on television.
The HHK is widely regarded as the campaign frontrunner.
Its new leader, Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian, received Catholicos
Garegin II in his office on Monday. According to the government's
press service, the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church "blessed"
and congratulated Sarkisian on his appointment as prime minister.
Gagik Tsarukian, the leader of the pro-presidential Prosperous Armenia
Party (BHK), another top contender, reportedly visited Garegin and
received a similar blessing on Sunday. Tsarukian was due to deliver
a televised address to voters late on Monday.
Both the HHK and the BHK are accused by their rivals of having
kicked off their election campaigns several weeks ago in violation
of Armenia's Electoral Code. But their leaders deny this.
Meanwhile, about 300 Orinats Yerkir activists gathered in a conference
hall in Yerevan to attend the high-profile presentation of their
party's platform to the accompaniment of its official campaign
song. The song assures Armenians that Orinats Yerkir's founding leader,
Artur Baghdasarian, "will lead us to a country of law."
Orinats Yerkir promises, among other things, to cut taxes, combat
corruption, and introduce mandatory healthcare insurance and student
loans. The program also supports Armenia's eventual membership in the
European Union but stops short of calling for its accession to NATO.
Baghdasarian advocated NATO membership in a newspaper interview
last year.
"I've never spoken about Armenia's membership in NATO," the former
parliament speaker claimed on Monday. "I've only spoken about deepening
our ties with NATO."
Baghdasarian also said his party is popular enough to win a "very
serious percentage" of votes but avoided making more specific
forecasts.
Another major opposition contender, the AMK, held a news conference to
present its "anti-crisis program" that calls for a swift passage of
43 laws. Its leader, Artashes Geghamian, said they are essential for
improving what he called a severe economic situation in the country.
Asked about his electoral chances, Geghamian pointed to a recent
U.S.-funded opinion poll which he said put his public approval ratings
at between 54 and 58 percent. "I told my colleagues that if we don't
get at least half of that support [in the elections] it will mean
that we have performed very badly," he said.
Geghamian was also unexpectedly upbeat about the freedom and fairness
of the polls. He said the authorities realize that the opposition
will be "unable to restrain our people" if their results are falsified.