Serzh Sargsyan, the incumbent President of the Republic of Armenia, stated about the notion that the election was not competitive in an interview given to Radio Liberty: “You know what, when they say that there is no strong rival, there is no one who can win many votes, I don’t agree with that. Who said that Raffi Hovhannisyan, Hrant Bagratyan or Paruyr Hayrikyan who have made great contribution and have travelled a long road are weaker rivals or have less experience of debates or public speeches?” In this context, the incumbent president also stressed: “Certainly, it is very hard for them, because more than 70 percent of the heads of local administrations are members of the Republican Party, and no matter how much we say that it is the use of power, I don’t agree with that.” www.aravot.am inquired of political scientist Yervand Bozoyan whether one could consider the incumbent president’s remark as a warning to candidates for president so that they don’t cherish hopes of being elected. He replied: “Serzh Sargsyan said what he had to say. At least for me, it is clear that the favorite of this election is obvious. However, I also realize that the government will not present that picture; it will say that there has been serious rivalry. Serzh Sargsyan wants to say that a random man cannot become president. The political force that wants to succeed must first succeed in local elections, as the first step, then aspire to presidency.”
Y. Bozoyan is generally not impressed by Serzh Sargsyan’s speech. During a conversation with us, he went into detail: “I think the incumbent president’s speeches stand out for lacking any serious statement. Basically he himself doesn’t make effort to have something to say. I think the words he utters are not very important. Everyone tries to achieve something through speeches. Serzh Sargsyan differs from other politicians in that his speeches are of little importance. That is why he doesn’t pay attention to the content of his speeches. That is why the content of his speeches doesn’t make an impression on ordinary citizens.”
Ruben Mehrabyan, an expert of the Center for Political and International Studies, stated: “At the end of the day, it is an assertion of facts. Yes, seventy percent of local administration officials are members of the ruling party; the rest are, if not Republicans, ready to cooperate with the Republican Party as a part of one pyramid. It is another matter that it is very negative, since the executive power, local administrations should first of all perform their duties, not deal with other issues. My general impression of that speech is that it was a serious deviation from all the issues raised by Serzh Sargsyan in his speech at the Republican Party congress. Besides, there was no specificity in that speech, no mention of citizens’ interests, no readiness to serve those interests. This shows that the cart doesn’t move, moreover, it doesn’t creak.”
Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
