LARISA ALAVERDIAN: ONLY ARMAN MELIKIAN AND VAZGEN MANUKIAN AMONG PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES TRY TO INTRODUCE ELECTION CAMPAIGN CULTURE

Noyan Tapan
Jan 31, 2008

YEREVAN, JANUARY 31, NOYAN TAPAN. Only two among the presidential candidates, Arman Melikian and Vazgen Manukian try to introduce culture of election campaign. Larisa Alaverdian, a member of the RA NA Zharangutiun (Heritage) faction, the first RA Ombudsperson, expressed such an opinion at the January 31 meeting with journalists. In her words, the election campaigns of another two candidates, Vahan Hovhannisian and Artur Baghdasarian are “to the maximum extent partially” within the limits of the culture of preelection campaign, and the election campaigns of the other candidates are very far from that culture, the downfall of which started from 1995.

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“Levon Ter-Petrosian’s return to politics and participation in the presidential elections may have made them more intriguing, but it has sharply lowered the bar in political debate,” writes “Azg.” “The former president began hurling personal insults and threats not only at representatives of power but virtually all other more or less known candidates.” The paper says this “Bolshevik-style” tactic has led to an atmosphere of intolerance in the country. “In essence, a clash of ideas and programs has given way to an exchange of insults and blackmail,” it says.

According to “Hayots Ashkhar,” Ter-Petrosian stands no chance to win the election because he has opted for “the path of confrontation.” “The path of disseminating discord and dividing the people can never lead to success,” says the pro-government paper. “Ter-Petrosian and his entourage have injected so much venom into the political scene that others are forced to respond.”