Separately but negotiating.
There are some parties in Armenia today, which want to enter into alliance with Orinats Erkir Party / Rule of Law/, – OEP leader told “Aravot” in the interview on January 25. We reminded Arthur Baghdasarian his expression and asked him to explain the reason why they decided to participate in the forthcoming elections separately in the sitting held on February 6. OEP leader answered that the point wasn\’t the formation of alliance: ” The authority has developed a false idea inside the society to divide the opposition sphere saying, look, the opposition doesn\’t unify. Is the authority unified? I\’m against the unification of opposition parties, as it will give the authority a good opportunity to attack on that unified power. If the authority is going to participate in the elections with 4 parties, the opposition also has political parties which may participate in the elections separately but co-operating with each other like the pro-authority powers.” In his opinion, it is better to co-operate round some problems “than to unify with parties of different standpoints”. OEP leader also informed that his party had made a decision ” actively collaborate with all political organizations which worry about fair, free elections”.
Arthur Baghdasarian informed that the OEP political council would determine the list of candidates who will nominate their candidacy by majority electoral system in the second half of February. “There isn\’t final decision on my nomination”.
“National Unity” published a statement on February 6, where the party members were worry about the rise in price of paid broadcast. “They try to broadcast only the president\’s and government supported parties\’ speech”. Yesterday OEP leader Arthur Baghdasarian also worried about the high prices. He informed that one of the TV Companies had already published the price of political advertisement, 100 000 Drams per minute.
OEP leader informed that the representatives of their parties were being removed from the leading staff of electoral commissions. He also noted that he had proposed to appoint the opposition representatives in the leading body of commissions. \’If we speak about the legality and fairness of elections why do the authorities fill all leading positions of the commission?”
We also tried to find out a question in connection with the signature of a treaty for political collaboration between CRU and OEP. Hrant Khachatrian\’s adherents had alluded OEP\’s role in their inner-Party problems. Arthur Baghdasarian informed: “We have no connection with their inner-Party problems because it\’s their business. We wish they solved those problems in civil, political way.”