For sure, honest answers from Ter Petrosian and Sarkisian to any of the questions are not going to highlight themselves as candidates worthy of the post of president. Indeed, if the ARF-D and Hovannisian don’t strike a deal, maybe Hovannisian would be better off just supporting no-one.

Some of the questions are specifically addressed to the candidates who hold or held a government post, notably Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian and former President Levon Ter-Petrosian. Those of them who seek Hovannisian’s endorsement will have to declare if they ever jailed innocent people, benefited from vote rigging or committed other “major mistakes.”

[…]

A spokesman for Sarkisian’s Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) dismissed the questionnaire as “unacceptable” and “ridiculous.” “It would be much better if every politician began from self-criticism,” Eduard Sharmazanov told RFE/RL.

The campaign manager of one of Sarkisian’s main challengers, former parliament speaker Artur Baghdasarian, likewise said that Hovannisian is wrong to claim a moral superiority over the election contenders. “I think that acting on behalf of the entire public and holding an examination for the presidential candidates is kind of ludicrous,” said Heghine Bisharian.

Ter-Petrosian, another top opposition candidate, also made it clear through an aide that he has no intention to send written answers to the U.S.-born politician who had served as a foreign minister in his administration. The Ter-Petrosian campaign chief, Aleksandr Arzumanian, said Hovannisian can find those answers in the ex-president’s recent and upcoming speeches.

Meanwhile, with many Armenians still considering the opposition candidates on offer no better than the current favorite and maybe even worse in some cases, Manukian is already warning of an easy change of power from Kocharian to Sarkisian.

Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian is the favorite to win Armenia’s approaching presidential election and, as things stand now, can not be defeated by any of his opposition challengers, opposition leader Vazgen Manukian said on Tuesday.

“I wouldn’t bet on the victory of any of the [opposition] candidates,” Manukian, himself a presidential candidate, admitted at a news conference.

A pro-opposition newspaper also realizes this fact.

“Aravot” says the Armenian authorities are to blame for what it sees as a low level of “pre-election debate” in the country. “The current president’s periodical threats to ‘remind’ and their realization make the election campaign similar to a street bust-up,” editorializes the paper. “Even more unfortunately, the practice of reminding one another, settling scores with one another is also used by opposition candidates. Artur Baghdasarian, who has so far stuck to the rules of fair play, is perhaps exception to this rule. Apart from reminders, they also accuse each other of serving Serzh. And yet in wrangling among each other, they could hardly give Serzh Sarkisian a better present.”

Until this attitude changes, one guesses that we can rule out any hope of clean, free and fair elections in Armenia. An understanding of what that precisely means is beyond the grasp, it seems, of most governmental and opposition candidiates.

Still, we can at least hope for the same sort of progress that we saw in the May parliamentary election. Yes, disappointing, I know, but in the Armenian context, it’s something.

THIS IS NOT A TEST

A1 Plus, 18 December, 2007
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On 6 December members of the “Heritage” party’ Council did not come to a consensus as to whom they would support during the presidential elections, thus the Council decided to leave the decision of the problem on the party’s Board.

Today the “Heritage” party’s Board discussed and sent letters to all presidential candidates, proposing a list of questions and anticipating their sincere responds. The Board registers that the provisions in the list bother not only the “Heritage” party but its co-thinkers and society. For example, there is such a question in the list – why do you want to become a president and which will be you primary 5 steps in case you are elected? Or may you withdraw your candidature before the election day? If yes, who will you support?

“This is not a test, neither the caprice of a political power. Our aim is to make a certain imagination on the future leader’s position, his decency, moral image, as well as to make a clear idea of his party’s approaches and to present it to the electorate”, said Chairman of the “Heritage” party Raffi Hovhannisian.

The question on who a party or candidate would support if their candidature is withdrawn is particularly relevant with sources suggesting it is specifically aimed at the Armenian Revolutionary Federation — Dashnaktsutyun.

Hovannisian is believed to be ready to support their candidate as long as he is given assurances that hje will not pull out and support the prime minister, Serzh Sarkisian.