Joint candidate issue splits opposition

“Throughout the period of parliamentary sessions, the rostrum of the parliament served for the presidential election, while Heritage faction actively participated in the activities of the National Assembly, by submitting 8 legislative initiatives,” the head of Heritage faction Ruben Hakobian stated at the meeting with reporters today, when discussing the National Assembly work and the domestic political developments.

He said that the parliamentary opposition managed to cooperate on the issues of establishing the anti-corruption commission and the commission on March 1 events.

As regards the issue of a joint presidential candidate of the opposition, Hakobian said that Armenia’s political field is not conducive to nomination of a joint opposition candidate and that the joint candidate issue has caused a split within the opposition.
In response to the question about the upcoming convention of Heritage Party, Hakobian noted that negotiations with all the political forces and preparatory work are underway. He invited representatives of the media to the party convention to be held “in a format that is new for Armenia”.

According to Hakobian, some political forces are now willing to run jointly with Heritage in the upcoming presidential election, the main thing is to keep the opposition electorate.

Hakobian said that today Raffi Hovannisian has all the potential to become the joint candidate of the opposition.