United Opposition Candidate Still Unclear

While presidential candidates Levon Ter-Petrossian and Artur Baghdasarian seem confident that they will be the united opposition candidate to contest the 19 February election against the government favorite, Serge Sargsyan, the reality is still unclear.

E-Channel suggests that both candidates spoke prematurely. Indeed, the pre-election campaign is now entering a decisive period where it remain to be seen who that united opposition candidate will be and even if one will be chosen before a likely second round.

The question – who is Raffi Hovhannisyan going to support – was being discussed even before the electoral campaign. […] Today, the subject of negotiations is joining of the candidates – if even two of them get together, Raffi Hovhannisyan may also join them. However, despite the last week’s statements, that question still remains without an answer.

First, Levon Ter-Petrossian talked about the possible unification – during his visit to the region of Lori. In Vanadzor he announced, “I have serious reasons to state that Arthur Baghdasaryan and Raffi Hovhannisyan will join us in the future” Arthur Baghdasaryan’s response followed – during his press conference he did not exclude any possibility of unification, later declaring during a gathering that it would be an honor for any force to join them, and expressing trust that Levon Ter-Petrossian and Raffi Hovhannisyan were going to join them the next day.

[…] Raffi Hovhannisyan has said that Armenia needs a big and long-term unification, and not a short one. Heritage goes on communicating with all the four candidates, theoretically considering any option possible. The decision will be made by the party. […] Heritage will express its final position on supporting a certain candidate by the end of the week.

[…] Vazgen Manukyan also was not excluding the possibility of forming a serious force with Raffi Hovhannisyan and Vahan Hovhannisyan. According to him, negotiations were going on around that unification. Yesterday it became clear that Vazgen Manukyan and Vahan Hovhannisyan were not going to get united, although, as Vazgen Manukyan put it, “No negotiations could be considered closed until February 9.”