Political technologist: We will have president who defeated epos expert

"The presidential election is still ahead, but it is a fact that we will have a president who defeated an epos expert", Armen Badalian, an expert on political election technologies, told Aysor.am correspondent, when assessing the upcoming presidential election to be held on 18 February 2013.

Asked how an election held without serious contestants will affect Armenia’s international rating, the expert said no one takes interest in Armenia’s international rating anymore. “Some other problems exist here that the super powers are trying to solve. As long as the issue of Armenia’s orientation is not solved, the issue of power cannot be finally solved,” he noted, adding that the issue of orientation should be solved within two years. 

As for the Armenian National Congress (HAK) leader Levon Ter-Petrosian’s decision not to run in the presidential election and the other possible HAK candidates, Badalian said that it would be illogical of HAK to field any other candidate, except Ter-Petrosian. “It would mean running in the election for the sake of running in it, and I don’t think that HAK will take such an illogical step,” he stressed.
When asked whether it is logical not to put up a candidate, Badlian noted: “The geopolitical centers are implementing their scenarios, while HAK cannot change anything in those scenarios, and by those scenarios, HAK was not to win”.
As regards the nomination of Freedom party leader Hrant Bagratian and the possibility of unifiaction round him, Badalian does not consider it likely because “as Bagratian himself said, he is running not in order to win, but to solve personal problems… to win over the liberal forces”.

In conclusion, Badalian said that each of the presidential candidates will receive as many votes as will be “drawn” by the president’s entourage.