Richard Giragosian: S. Sargsyan not to blame for not having strong rivals

“The presidential election campaign begins today, and this election is going to be the most uncompetitive in the political history of Armenia,” Director of the Regional Studies Center (RSC) Richard Giragosian told reporters today, when discussing the upcoming presidential election.

In his words, President Serzh Sargsyan is not to blame for not having strong rivals in this election.
“In Armenia the opposition is not united, and we see the absence of competition in the election,” the political scientist said.
In his opinion, this election will be free and transparent because of the lack of keen rivalry between candidates. The election is going to be a struggle of individuals, rather than of political programs.

“Hrant Bagratian and Raffi Hovannisian will put forward new programs and new proposals in this election,” Giragosian said.
Discussing the challenges facing the authorities in the presidential election, he considered a low turnout of voters as the biggest challenge.

“If Serzh Sargsyan is re-elected as President, he will be able to create his own political legacy as his first term was dedicated to overcoming the consequences of the March 1 events,” the speaker said in conclusion.