Yesterday during a discussion organized at the U.S. Embassy in Armenia doctor of political sciences Valeri Bans said that Armenia has all the necessary democratic factors, which are independence of Media, free elections, competition between political institutions, however these components are not enough to consider Armenia a democratic state. He is mostly interested in the parliamentary and presidential elections. Mr. Bans thinks the parliamentary elections are so important because there are new political powers now. “However, I think that the presidential elections are more important since Armenia is more a presidential state” he said. Mr. Bans noted that for organizing democratic elections it is very important to correct the shortcomings in voter lists. Mr. Bans has studied the situation in the post-Soviet states and found out that in Armenia and in the other CIS countries oppositions are weak.
