Ter Petrosian Rallies in Yerevan?

RFE/RL reports that former President Levon Ter Petrosian will possibly “hold one or more rallies in Yerevan” this month before deciding whether to stand in next year’s presidential election. The news follows Ter Petrosian’s first major speech made since resigning from office in 1998.

“Not one but two or probably three rallies are planned,” said Rafael Ghazarian, an elderly academic who was, along with Ter-Petrosian, one of the members of the Karabakh Committee that led the 1988 movement for Nagorno-Karabakh’s unification with Armenia.

“Until he meets and addresses the masses and hears their reaction, he won’t make a decision. He will try to talk to the popular masses. Unfortunately, the only means [of struggle] is rallies because they won’t let him talk on any TV channel,” he told RFE/RL, adding that the rallies will be held in late October or early November.

Ghazarian has been a prominent fixture at opposition rallies such as those held in 2003 and 2004 and his prediction probably won’t surprise many. In fact, if Ter Petrosian is to run against the prime minister, Serzh Sarkisian, early next year such a move would be necessary to fully gauge public support.

Ter-Petrosian aides insisted on Thursday that he has still not made a decision. Aleksandr Arzumanian, who had served as foreign minister in the Ter-Petrosian administration, argued that he has yet to complete his consultations with various political groups and nationwide meetings with supporters. The 62-year-old ex-president visited the eastern Gegharkunik region over the weekend and is due in the southeastern Syunik province later this week.

“His concern is to change this situation,” Arzumanian told RFE/RL. “As he said, we need a single [opposition presidential] candidate to be able to confront this regime.”

The full story is here.

Levon Ter Petrosian, HHSh Independence Day Reception, Marriott Armenia, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2007