Reuters on Armenia Presidential Election

Finally some proper reporting on the imminent presidential election to be held next week in Armenia. In what appears to be the first report by a major international news wire during the pre-election campaign period, Reuters says that the prime minister, Serge Sargsyan, is still the favorite to win. However, this time round, he faces some serious competition.

YEREVAN (Reuters) - Armenia votes next week in a presidential election that is likely to transfer power from outgoing President Robert Kocharyan to his trusted ally and prime minister Serzh Sarksyan.

Opposition parties already allege the campaign is unfair, setting up Tuesday’s election to be a test for stability in a country that has only in the last few years recovered from a period of political convulsions.

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Opinion polls give Sarksyan, 53, a lead over the rest of the field, including former speaker of parliament Artur Baghdasaryan and Levon Ter-Petrosyan, the previous president who was forced to resign in 1998 but is now seeking a comeback.

Most observers predict that if Sarksyan is elected, his rule will be, in most aspects, a continuation of Kocharyan’s 10 years in office that have been marked by economic growth and firm stands toward Azerbaijan and Turkey.

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Sarksyan’s victory though is not guaranteed. “There is serious competition going on,” said analyst Alexander Iskanderyan.

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Sarksyan’s election chances are boosted by the fact the opposition has failed to unite around a single candidate.

Previous votes in Armenia have been followed by mass opposition protests alleging ballot fraud, and observers say more are possible after Tuesday’s vote.