Ter-Petrossian Shows Weakness

In what can perhaps be taken as a sign of weakness and uncertainty about his election chances, former president Levon Ter-Petrossian has requested that the 19 February presidential election in Armenia be postponed by two weeks. This follows polls from international survey organizations that show Ter-Petrossian unable to make it into a likely second round of voting despite his campaign team launching their bid for the presidency saying that they had already won.

RFE/RL has more, but somewhat ironically it is the basis for the demand that has probably been most instrumental in creating the myth of Ter-Petrossian as the front-runner for the 2008 vote. Otherwise, many Armenians still remember the former president’s time in power when political parties were closed, their leaders imprisoned, media outlets were shut down, and an elite lived the high life while the population literally froze.

Former President Levon Ter-Petrosian has asked the Constitutional Court to postpone Armenia’s presidential election by two weeks, citing state television’s hostile coverage of his election campaign and related political activities, it emerged on Friday.

Under Armenia’s Electoral Code, a presidential election can be put off if one of the candidates is deemed to be facing “insurmountable obstacles” in trying to get their message across to voters. If those obstacles are not eliminated by authorities with a two-week period, the vote must be cancelled and held anew within 40 days.

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In a statement later in the day, Ter-Petrosian’s campaign team said the appeal does not amount to the former president’s withdrawal from the race. “We are officially stating that not only is Levon Ter-Petrosian not intent on discontinuing his fight against the kleptocratic regime but will carry this mission to a victorious end with even greater vigor,” it said.