MANUKIAN PESSIMISTIC ABOUT OPPOSITION ELECTION WIN
By Astghik Bedevian

Radio Libert, Czech Rep.
Dec 18 2007

Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian is the favorite to win Armenia’s
approaching presidential election and, as things stand now, can not
be defeated by any of his opposition challengers, opposition leader
Vazgen Manukian said on Tuesday.

"I wouldn’t bet on the victory of any of the [opposition] candidates,"
Manukian, himself a presidential candidate, admitted at a news
conference.

"Serzh Sarkisian’s victory is not about gaining votes but controlling
power," he said. "He fully controls the administrative resources,
financial resources, and the entire electoral process … Because we
live in an undemocratic country, the authorities’ capacity is much
greater, and it would take a big force to defeat them."

Manukian added that the Armenian opposition will stand a chance
to scuttle a handover of power from President Robert Kocharian to
Sarkisian only if forms a broad-based electoral alliance. He made
it clear that he will not withdraw his candidature in favor of any
other opposition hopeful. The remark was a further indication that the
veteran politician considers himself Sarkisian’s strongest challenger.

The February 19 election will mark Manukian’s fourth consecutive
attempt to win the Armenian presidency. Official results of the last
presidential election held in February 2003 showed the leader of the
opposition National Democratic Union (AZhM) garnering less than one
percent of the vote. The poor performance was a far cry from his strong
showing in the September 1996 election which saw incumbent President
Levon Ter-Petrosian controversially win a second term in office.

Ter-Petrosian is now seen by many observers as Sarkisian’s main
election rival. He has tried unsuccessfully to secure Manukian’s
endorsement of his presidential bid. The AZhM leader’s pointed refusal
to back his erstwhile foe provoked allegations in the pro-Ter-Petrosian
media that he is playing into the government’s hands.

But Manukian stressed on Tuesday that the main target of his election
campaign will the ruling regime and not any of the opposition
candidates.