Yes, I have read about vote bribes from both sides for that election, but honestly, was the election falsified by the authorities to the extent that it should have gone to a second round, but didn’t?

But I agree with you that Levon has to address the issue of elections’96. I hope he will.

And we have another idea about an interview with Levon: we’re planning to organize an open online interview with him on http://www.levonforpresident.com.

It can be argued that Channel 1 of the state television was used by Ter-Petrosyan’s electoral headquarters as the principal means of propaganda, for in addition to the time that the candidates were entitled to, Ter-Petrosyan was allotted as much as 1,628:30 minutes, and the rest of the contenders were given a total of 193:35 minutes. Vazgen Manukyan, Ter-Petrosyan’s major challenger, only got 72:10 minutes, a large proportion of which was negative coverage.

http://poli.vub.ac.be/publi/crs/eng/0201-02.htm

Two wrongs don’t make a right, of course, but for many of us, hearing Ter Petrosian talk about the corrupt authorities and falsified elections seems a little too much like the pot calling the kettle black.

And so far, while Ter Petrosian has addressed up to 15,000 supporters in Liberty Square, he has so far not allowed journalists to directly ask him questions although he did visit “sympathetic” media outlets such as RFE/RL.

Navasardian criticized Ter-Petrosian as well, saying that he has turned down offers to be interviewed by unnamed TV stations. “It’s easier to talk at a rally,” he said. “You say only what you want to say and don’t have to answer resulting questions.

Anyway, from what I’ve heard and what I’ve read, the 1996 election was a disgrace and the start of Armenia’s downward slide towards authoritarianism. This is still an issue that Ter Petrosian really needs to address and directly through questions rather than managed appearances.

In an interview with state television two years later, one of Ter-Petrossian’s chief henchmen, former Interior Minister Vano Siradeghian, admitted that the results of the 1996 presidential vote were rigged to preclude a second round runoff between Ter-Petrossian and Manukian.

Anyway, I think many people are not on the Levon bandwagon, but I admit that there are who would consider an alternative to Sarkisian. Yet, many seem reluctant to consider Levon Ter Petrosian in that role precisely because of what they remember from 1995-6. And for sure, I don’t see any “new faces” in his team.

Who are they? Alexander Arzumanian, Ararat Zurabian, Stepan Demirchian, Aram Sarkisian, Hovannes Hovannisian? All of these people were formerly in power or seeking to attain it, but then lost their place in the sun. Anyway, I don’t discount the possibility of Ter Petrosian becoming that main opposition candidate, but only in a certain scenerio.

That is, when other more prominent opposition politicians and parties support him as well. That’s why I’m specifically waiting to hear who Raffi Hovannisian will support. I’m also tired of hearing LTP’s people accuse those opposition groups who have not supported him of being a “false opposition.”

Maybe some are, and maybe some are not, but that’s not the point. I’d instead like to see BOTH the government and the “radical opposition” talk of issues and problems rather than just attack each other. This is not conducive to promoting a democratic, stable and mature political system and culture in Armenia.

1. fraud in 1996 elections refers almost equally to Vazgen Manukian and his supporters. If you have reliable and honest sources among his current or past supporters who were involved in Elections’96, please do ask them about stuffing for Vazgen. You will be surprised, I guarantee.

2. Army on the streets - what was the role of Levon in this and what was Vazgen Sargsyan’s role. Even if we take into account the fact the Levon was also responsible for VazgenS’s actions, we have to admit that in a country that won a war the factor of the “armed force” entering into politics cannot be underestimated. This was the price Armenian newly-born democracy paid for the victory in the war field.

3. Levon should not come back, but rather he should BRING forward. And he has to and is obliged to bring forward a new generation of politicians and has to bring about real and needed changes in public mentality. Otherwise, his “comeback” will be useless.

And I really do hope that the new faces in his Team, the new ideas, new ideology and values will prove stronger than the human sense of being offended by Levon that now exists among many.