It is hard for political scientist Richard Giragosian to say what the reason for the decision of the Armenian National Congress (ANC) and the PAP not to participate in the presidential election was.
“The PAP doesn’t have an adequate candidate, and the decision of Levon Ter-Petrossian, the first president, was a wise one. We don’t know whether there was a strategic plan for this decision,” Mr. Giragosian said. He is convinced that the decision of the PAP and the ANC reflects the problem of the Armenian political system, “The political system is very closed, secretive, and there are no real politicians. Actually politics belongs to persons, not political forces in Armenia; it is about power and money and not ideologies. To politicians, engaging in politics is a hobby.” He hasn’t figured out whether the PAP was an alternative, opposition or a pro-government force, but he is sure of one thing, “On the one hand, the conflict between the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) and the PAP is real, on the other hand, the PAP and the ARF can hardly prove that they are the real opposition, because they may actually not be opposition.”
Arpine SIMONYAN
