PEOPLE’S PARTY OF ARMENIA CHANGES ORIENTATION

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS:A senior member of the opposition People’s Party of Armenia (PPA), headed by Stepan Demirchian, said today the party is prepared to contest the 2007 parliamentary elections alone. Incidentally, the People’s Party of Armenia makes the backbone of the Ardarutyun (Justice) opposition alliance. Grigor Harutunian, a member of the party’s ruling board, said the PPA was a force bringing parties together and may strike an alliance with other forces. He said they would like such an alliance to be cemented by a mutual ideology. Harutunian forecasted emergence of several opposition alliances ahead of the 2007 polls, adding that pro-government forces will fight for parliament seats separately. Harutunian said their party’s manifesto will undergo some changes concerning their vision of foreign policy priorities. He said the shift would be from the CIS towards the Europe and the West. “Armenia has to take the road of European integration,” he said.