Lragir, Armenia
Feb 8 2008

SITUATION IS EXPECTED TO GROW TENSE

On February 8 at the National Press Club Member of Parliament Stepan
Safaryan from the Heritage Party, who evaluated the past weeks of the
presidential campaign and voiced their expectations from the
remaining period, noted that his opinion is that of an expert rather
than a member of the Heritage Party.

According to his expert observation, the election campaign passes in
a climate of disparity in coverage, total employment of the
administrative resource, intimidation, compromising materials. The
expert focused on signals from the outside, saying that in the
beginning there was balance between the West and Russia but Russia
has gradually started signaling that Serge Sargsyan is their
candidate. Stepan Safaryan has also noticed some orientation from the
West, saying that recently Gallup has released an analysis which
describes the Armenian government as incapable of resolving the
Karabakh issue, reducing poverty and battling corruption.

It allows Stepan Safaryan to state that this changed signals from the
outside may put the election process onto some path, especially
regarding the opposition which may be disappointed with Russia’s bias
for Serge Sargsyan and turn away from Russia. Stepan Safaryan says
the gap will become deeper and controversies will intensify in the
last ten days of the campaign.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress