PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS OF ARMENIA WERE STRUGGLE NOT AGAINST AUTHORITIES BUT BETWEEN TWO PRO-PRESIDENT PARTIES, RF STATE DUMA DEPUTY FINDS
Noyan Tapan
May 16 2007
YEREVAN, MAY 16, NOYAN TAPAN. The results of the parliamentary
elections held in Armenia prove the succession of the boundary of the
present authorities of the country. Konstantin Zatulin, a RF State
Duma deputy, the Director of the Institute of CIS Countries informed
Interfax about it. K. Zatulin was involved in the group of Russian
parliamentarians arrived in Yerevan with the monitoring mission.
K. Zatulin emphasized some change of moods which has happened among
the citizens of Armenia since the previous, 2003 parliamentary
elections. "Not only political generation change but also change
of moods of the electorate took place during that period of time: if
criticizing the authorities was stylish in 2003 what opposition leaders
like Stepan Demirchian, Aram Sargsian, Artashes Geghamian did, none
of them entered the parliament now," the RF State Duma deputy said.
He also mentioned that the present parliamentary elections were held
not under the sign of struggle against the authorities, but under the
sign of competition between two pro-president parties, the Republican
Party of Armenia headed by Prime Minister Serge Sargsian and the
Bargavach Hayastan (Prosperous Armenia) party. In K. Zatulin’s words,
Bargavach Hayastan went to the elections under the demagogic slogans
of criticism of the government, at the same time stating about loyalty
towards the acting president.
In K. Zatulin’s words, the victory of the Republican Party got the most
part of the deputy mandates, by what it got possibility of forming
the government, means that S. Sargsian will not only keep the Prime
Minister’s post, but also become the main candidate for the future
president’s elections.
"But I think that the issue remains important if the Republican Party
will independently form the new cabinet of ministers or will propose
the Bargavach Hayastan and ARF parties occupied, correspondingly,
the second and third places at the elections, to form a coalition
government," K. Zatulin mentioned. I am not very agree with those
politicians and political experts of Russia who consider that the
present administration of Armenia is unequivocally pro-Russian. "It
would be a naivety to think in that way. The heads of Armenia intend
pro-Armenian, that’s, with keeping partnership relations with
Russia. It at the same time does not close doors in front of the
cooperation with the West. The two sides, both Russia and Armenia
must make many efforts for the partnership relations are turned into
really allies’ relations," K. Zatulin added.