PROSPEROUS ARMENIA TO ENDORSE SINGLE PRO-GOVERNMENT CANDIDATE

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 5, ARMENPRESS:Aram Safarian, secretary of the Prosperous Armenia party’s parliamentary faction, said today his party will remain committed to the coalition government agreement and will join its senior government partner, the Republican Party of Armenia, to field and endorse a single presidential candidate. He said the Prosperous Armenia will formally endorse this candidate when it holds its congress. Safarian said the May 12 parliamentary elections have promoted a higher level of political culture among political groups here with reciprocal tolerance and denial of a competition aimed to plant enmity and hatred towards rivals. He said political parties will have to work hard to maintain and deepen this atmosphere. Aram Safarian predicted that the highest post of the country will be contested by some 10 candidates and the opposition will fail to rally around a common candidate. He attributed this to the diversity of ideologies pursued by opposition groups. Aram Safarian also said an inventory of the party ranks has slashed the real number of its members to 80,000 from 380,000 as was claimed ahead of the May 12 parliamentary elections. “Party leadership knows who is to blame for this and they will be punished,” he said.