TER-PETROSYAN’S NOMINATION FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION MAY CHANGE THE ARRANGEMENT OF FORCES IN ARMENIA
Lragir, Armenia
Oct 29 2007
The nomination of Levon Ter-Petrosyan, the first president of Armenia,
for the presidential election 2008 may change the arrangement of
political forces in Armenia, thinks Manvel Sargsyan, an independent
expert.
"The entry of the first president of Armenia to the political process
came along with the controversial situation that had occurred in the
government camp after the parliamentary election in May. First of all,
it is the likelihood of the pro-government ARF Dashnaktsutyun Party to
put up a presidential candidate. This arrangement of forces imparted
the factor of Ter-Petrosyan with a notable meaning," Manvel Sargsyan
told Ria Novosti on Monday.
He thinks it seemed that a pole of confrontation between Dashnaktsutyun
and Ter-Petrosyan will emerge in the home political sphere, which
would boost the opportunities of the Republican candidate to win the
presidential election.
"The existence of two unlike poles always favors the ruling regime,"
the expert said.
"However, there happened what had not been predicted. Initially,
Ter-Petrosyan did not take the track for confrontation with
Dashnaktsutyun, its old enemy. This circumstance changed fundamentally
the course of the home political developments," Sargsyan said.
He thinks under these circumstances the government took the track for
stimulating the other opposition poles, to prevent the unification
of the opposition around Levon Ter-Petrosyan.
"In particular, it becomes evident from the activity of the leaders
of the Orinats Yerkir and the National Solidarity parties Arthur
Baghdasaryan and Artashes Geghamyan. These activists were allowed to
appear on television, which comes as evidence to the abovementioned,
considering the rigid control over information," the political
scientist says.
In his opinion, if these tendencies perpetuate, we can argue that the
political sphere in Armenia may undergo essential changes on the eve
of the election and gain a quite new shape.
Sargsyan also thinks Ter-Petrosyan’s victory in the presidential
election will not affect the Armenian and Russian relation.
"Ter-Petrosyan has already been president, and no essential problems
with Russia occurred in that period," the expert says.
At the same time, he said very little is prone to change in these
relations. "A government or another cannot bring about major changes
in the Russian and Armenian relations," Manvel Sargsyan concluded.