Epress.am News from Armenia
All of Armenia’s political parties have begun to prepare for the upcoming parliamentary elections, said Armenian Revolutionary Federation–Dashnaktsutyun (ARF-D) representative Vahan Hovhannisyan at a press conference today. He added that despite the fact that all political groups have begun campaigning, ARF-D isn’t participating in the “exchange of fire.”
Asked what was the reason for the recent ARF-D rally in Ashtarak, Hovhannisyan said that that didn’t have any connection whatsoever with election campaigning; the rally was dedicated solely to local issues, to raise the issue of unlawful actions [presumably, by the authorities].
“And if this time also we can’t have elections that correspond to European standards, then we’ll be in an even more hopeless situation,” he said.
Speaking on assessments by political sociologists, the ARF-D member said they don’t interest him whatsoever, since, for example, “they take on the role of [Aharon Adibekyan’s] speculators and taint the field.”
“As for this or that statement made by political parties, as to who is to occupy how many seats in parliament, then that political power that is 100% certain he is going to win must have two points of support: first, he must have given so much bread and butter to the people, and, as comrade Stalin would say, have had such a happy childhood, to be able to make such a statement. Second, he must be convinced that he is most certainly going to falsify the elections,” said Hovhannisyan and asked:
“And what have our authorities done for the people? Nothing. Thus, what remains is the second point.”