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LEAVE HIM ALONE: CANDIDATE CALLS FOR QUITTING RACE EN MASSE TO EMBARRASS SARGSYAN REELECTION
http://armenianow.com/vote_2013/42476/armenia_presidential_election2013_andrias_ghukasya n_call
VOTE 2013 | 11.01.13 | 15:45
Andrias Ghukasyan
By SIRANUYSH GEVORGYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter
A call for a mass withdrawal from the presidential race issued by
one of the little-known candidates has caused a stir in the Armenian
political field, as, if realized, it would leave incumbent president
Serzh Sargsyan with an option of "shadowboxing".
Enlarge Photo Paruyr Hayrikyan
Andrias Ghukasyan sent an open letter primarily addressed to the six
other candidates who plan to run against Sargsyan in the February
18 ballot urging them to announce their withdrawal after official
registration on January 15. He said this joint withdrawal will mark
the beginning of "a new political situation" in Armenia.
The letter, whose addresses are former Prime Minister Hrant Bagratyan,
who leads the opposition Liberty Party, opposition Heritage Party
leader, ex-foreign minister Raffi Hovannisian, former Foreign Minister
of Nagorno-Karabakh Arman Melikyan, National Accord Party leader Aram
Harutyunyan, President of the National Self-Determination Union (NSDU)
Paruyr Hayrikyan and specialist in epic studies Vardan Sedrakyan,
in part, reads: "In conditions when power is in the hands of one
political force the public, whose rights are not guaranteed, is,
in fact, deprived of its Constitution. A politician is the one who
takes on the duty to protect the interests of the public. Today we
have a right to form a new political agenda for Armenia. At the same
time, it is incumbent on us to determine the political future of the
country. I suggest that we jointly withdraw from the election struggle
designed and predetermined by the Republican Party and unanimously
initiate a universal civic movement for drastic changes."
In his letter Ghukasyan, who is director of Radio Hay, expresses his
conviction that "a civil movement against the criminal-oligarchic
system, which will be led by Paruyr Hayrikyan, Raffi Hovannisian and
Hrant Bagratyan will be crowned with success."
Earlier, a similar call was made by another candidate, Aram
Harutyunyan, who said that in that case the elections would not be
rigged and President Sargsyan would not be able to get at least 50
percent of the votes.
According to the Constitution of Armenia, "if only one candidate runs
for the [presidential] election, he/she shall be elected if he/she
receives more than half of the votes of electors who participate in
the polls." Under the Electoral Code, if there is only one candidate
standing for president, the ballot paper contains a tick box for an
'against' vote.
NSDU chairman Hayrikyan stated today that he was not going to withdraw
from the race, considering that this way he would simply help Sargsyan
get reelected.
"Boycotting means supporting the candidate who has a relatively high
percent of the vote, and this is the one who currently occupies the
presidential post. How can a rookie tell me what to do or say that
whoever does not join his initiative is a supporter of Serzh Sargsyan?
Don't they even get me started on who in reality is supporting the
incumbent president," commented Hayrikyan at a press conference
on Friday.
Hovannisian, who is running in the election as a self-nominated
candidate rather than a Heritage leader nominated by his party, has
not made a public statement in this regard yet. But at least some of
his party members are far from considering the proposed boycott as
a good idea.
"A politician differs from an ordinary citizen and a political force
from a public organization, an individual entrepreneur, an LLC or a
CJSC by the fact that he or she struggles to make a reality what he or
she wants to see - from the vision of Armenia to a power change. This
is a mission of a political figure and the difference, for which he
or she shall have an action plan and the will to implement it. And
if they think that everything is predetermined, the outcome is a
foregone conclusion, then it means it's time for them to retire,"
said Heritage Party secretary Styopa Safaryan.
Former Prime Minister Hrant Bagratyan's office does not intend to
comment on Ghukasyan's statement in any way.
"The motivation of this call is not clear to us, we do not comment on
that," Bagratyan election headquarters spokesperson Karine Harutyunyan
told ArmeniaNow.
Another candidate, former Karabakh Foreign Minister Arman Melikyan
also stopped short of providing commentary, saying that he would do
so only after the Central Election Commission registers the candidates.
The process is due to be completed on January 14.
http://armenianow.com/vote_2013/42476/armenia_presidential_election2013_andrias_ghukasya n_call
VOTE 2013 | 11.01.13 | 15:45
Andrias Ghukasyan
By SIRANUYSH GEVORGYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter
A call for a mass withdrawal from the presidential race issued by
one of the little-known candidates has caused a stir in the Armenian
political field, as, if realized, it would leave incumbent president
Serzh Sargsyan with an option of "shadowboxing".
Enlarge Photo Paruyr Hayrikyan
Andrias Ghukasyan sent an open letter primarily addressed to the six
other candidates who plan to run against Sargsyan in the February
18 ballot urging them to announce their withdrawal after official
registration on January 15. He said this joint withdrawal will mark
the beginning of "a new political situation" in Armenia.
The letter, whose addresses are former Prime Minister Hrant Bagratyan,
who leads the opposition Liberty Party, opposition Heritage Party
leader, ex-foreign minister Raffi Hovannisian, former Foreign Minister
of Nagorno-Karabakh Arman Melikyan, National Accord Party leader Aram
Harutyunyan, President of the National Self-Determination Union (NSDU)
Paruyr Hayrikyan and specialist in epic studies Vardan Sedrakyan,
in part, reads: "In conditions when power is in the hands of one
political force the public, whose rights are not guaranteed, is,
in fact, deprived of its Constitution. A politician is the one who
takes on the duty to protect the interests of the public. Today we
have a right to form a new political agenda for Armenia. At the same
time, it is incumbent on us to determine the political future of the
country. I suggest that we jointly withdraw from the election struggle
designed and predetermined by the Republican Party and unanimously
initiate a universal civic movement for drastic changes."
In his letter Ghukasyan, who is director of Radio Hay, expresses his
conviction that "a civil movement against the criminal-oligarchic
system, which will be led by Paruyr Hayrikyan, Raffi Hovannisian and
Hrant Bagratyan will be crowned with success."
Earlier, a similar call was made by another candidate, Aram
Harutyunyan, who said that in that case the elections would not be
rigged and President Sargsyan would not be able to get at least 50
percent of the votes.
According to the Constitution of Armenia, "if only one candidate runs
for the [presidential] election, he/she shall be elected if he/she
receives more than half of the votes of electors who participate in
the polls." Under the Electoral Code, if there is only one candidate
standing for president, the ballot paper contains a tick box for an
'against' vote.
NSDU chairman Hayrikyan stated today that he was not going to withdraw
from the race, considering that this way he would simply help Sargsyan
get reelected.
"Boycotting means supporting the candidate who has a relatively high
percent of the vote, and this is the one who currently occupies the
presidential post. How can a rookie tell me what to do or say that
whoever does not join his initiative is a supporter of Serzh Sargsyan?
Don't they even get me started on who in reality is supporting the
incumbent president," commented Hayrikyan at a press conference
on Friday.
Hovannisian, who is running in the election as a self-nominated
candidate rather than a Heritage leader nominated by his party, has
not made a public statement in this regard yet. But at least some of
his party members are far from considering the proposed boycott as
a good idea.
"A politician differs from an ordinary citizen and a political force
from a public organization, an individual entrepreneur, an LLC or a
CJSC by the fact that he or she struggles to make a reality what he or
she wants to see - from the vision of Armenia to a power change. This
is a mission of a political figure and the difference, for which he
or she shall have an action plan and the will to implement it. And
if they think that everything is predetermined, the outcome is a
foregone conclusion, then it means it's time for them to retire,"
said Heritage Party secretary Styopa Safaryan.
Former Prime Minister Hrant Bagratyan's office does not intend to
comment on Ghukasyan's statement in any way.
"The motivation of this call is not clear to us, we do not comment on
that," Bagratyan election headquarters spokesperson Karine Harutyunyan
told ArmeniaNow.
Another candidate, former Karabakh Foreign Minister Arman Melikyan
also stopped short of providing commentary, saying that he would do
so only after the Central Election Commission registers the candidates.
The process is due to be completed on January 14.