POLICY OF ECONOMIC MONOPOLIES MUST BE PUT END TO IN ARMENIA
ARKA News Agency , Armenia
Dec 13 2007
YEREVAN, December 13. /ARKA/. The policy of granting monopolies in
economic sectors should be put an end to in Armenia, Vice-Speaker of
the RA Parliament, presidential nominee of the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation (ARF) Vahan Hovhannisyan told reporters.
He pointed out that the main reason for his nomination is the political
situation that developed in the country after the 2007 parliamentary
elections.
"We see a serious threat in not only economic monopolization in the
country. It can also become a political phenomenon in Armenia," he
said. Hovhannisyan added that this development is inadmissible for
the ARF.
In this context, Hovhannisyan believes that Armenia’s liberal economy
has exhausted its potential.
"We have reached the point when new steps are necessary for maintaining
high macroeconomic indicators and growth rates, and now Armenia can
apply mechanisms that are more socially oriented," he said.
Hovhannisyan said that the ARF is for "essential guaranteed reforms,
but in conditions of stability."
"We do not think that reforms in Armenia can or must be carried out
through shocks," he said.
Hovhannisyan did not elaborate on the points where the ARF considers
specific reforms necessary.
"This will mean making my political platform known, which is
inadmissible before the official election campaign," he said.
The presidential election is to be held in Armenia on February
19, 2008. The following candidates submitted necessary documents
to the Central Electoral Commission (CEC): RA Prime Minister,
Chairman of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) Serge Sargsyan,
Chairman of the opposition National-Democratic Union Vazgen Manukyan,
Vice-Speaker of the RA Parliament Vahan Hovhannisyan, Chairman of the
Country of Law Party Artur Baghdasaryan, Armenia’s first president
Levon Ter-Petrosyan, Chairman of the National Unity Party Artashes
Geghamyan, Chairman of the People’s Party Tigran Karapetyan, chairman
of the National Accord Party Aram Harutyunyan and the former advisor
to the NKR President Arman Melikyan.