Serious political force cannot but run in presidential election

A serious political force cannot stand aside and refuse to run in a presidential election. International expert, political figure, former member of Pan-Armenian National Movement (HHSh) Hovhannes Igitian expressed this opinion at the meeting with reporters today, when commenting on the first Armenian President, leader of Armenian National Congress (HAK) Party Levon Ter-Petrosian’s statements about the reasons for not joining the movement of Heritage Party’s leader Raffi Hovannisian.

“Prior to the presidential elections, I - as a member of HHSh Board – said that we should have our own candidate, and if for some reason or other we cannot have our candidate, then we should actively support some other candidate. I believed that a serious political force could not stand aside and strike a pose of a half-offended, half-boycotting force and refuse to run in the election,” H. Igitian said.

“I think that HAK should have taken a more active part, especially in election commissions. After all, Raffi does a great job for us, not for himself,” Igitian added.

As for Levon Ter-Petrosian’s idea about organizing a bourgeois-democratic revolution in the country, Hovhannes Igitian noted that in the 21st century such a revolution cannot be carried out in a country like Armenia.

“This idea has not been implemented for five years. Ter-Petrosian himself said that he addressed that subject 4-5 years ago. This has not happened in the past 4-5 years, although there was popular support and ample opportunities. I don’t think it can be done at the expense of others. Moreover, there are no prerequisites for it,” Igitian said.