Sharmazanov: Don’t look for a black cat in a dark room

“We have a very bad political tradition: if we fail to do something, we blame others for that. Don’t look for a black cat in a dark room, it is on your shoulders,” spokesman for the Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), deputy speaker of the National Assembly Edward Sharmazanov said, when asked why there are no strong candidates in the presidential election.

“No one has prevented anyone from being nominated as a presidential candidate,” Sharmazanov noted.

As regards the statement of deputy chairman of Heritage Party Armen Martirosian to the effect that a run-off in the presidential election is possible, HHK spokesman said that if a deputy chairman of a party says this, then “the man admits that Serzh Sargsyan’s victory is legitimate, which is said by the opposition itself and not by the authorities”.

“The authorities are not guilty that they have worked correctly, that they have done what should be done,” he stated.

When asked if he shares the opinion that the nomination of little-known candidates to run in the presidential election is artificial, Sharmazanov replied that there has not been any artificial element in the work style of HHK and Serzh Sargsyan. “Any manipulation is out of the question when the matter concerns the future of our country, it is inadmissible to play with fates of people and turn politics into a comedy”.
 
Sharmazanov recalled that Paruyr Hayrikian and Raffi Hovannisian have already made statements about their decisions to run for President, but according to him, the problem is that “the opposition faces a dilemma: if it runs in the election, it will receive 7-10% of votes, while not running in the elections will result in the decline of their political biography”. In conclusion, Sharmazanov said that the Armenian National Congress (HAK) and the ARFD will not allow Heritage Party to win over the opposition electorate.