The ARF plans on presenting its own candidate for the 2008 presidential elections. This announcement was made by ARF Bureau representative Hrant Markaryan. He emphasized the fact that in order to eliminate the “subjective phenomena” in Armenia, the ARF must come to power and that is why they need to put up their candidacy for the upcoming presidential elections. In response to the question as to whether or not they will defend Serj Sargsyan’s candidacy for president in 2008, H. Markaryan claimed that even if Sargsyan’s candidacy is put up, the ARF will still present its own candidate. He did not state the name of the ARF candidate, claiming that in contrast to other political forces, the ARF has many candidates that deserve to be the president of the country. “During the presidential elections of 1998 and 2003, the ARF remained neutral in presenting a candidate in order to not bother Robert Kocharyan, who was the rightful leader and had already been nominated for president,” said H. Markaryan.
