“Opposition powers should find courage for joint struggle under the majoritarian system of elections,” said the president of Free Democrats party Khachatur Kokobelyan during a discussion organized at the Union of Politicians of Armenia. According to him, opposition powers should understand that they cannot compete against the pro-government powers alone, thus they should support a joint candidate notwithstanding their political affiliation. “The authorities are doing the same thing by distributing the majoritarian mandates between the RPA, PA and LS parties. All resources are now working for the Republican party, and I will be very surprised if during their upcoming elections it turns out that it is not like that. The opposition should find powers to unite the efforts,” said Kh. Kokobelyan. “During these elections the opposition has one problem to solve and they must solve it with joint efforts. They should mobilize their proxies and control the process of elections with joint efforts. Unfortunately they speak of violations before elections and take measures after elections only. The reason is the lack of resources for controlling. If the opposition powers have 5-10 proxies in every polling station, it may change the outcome of elections.”
Kokobelyan says that the Free Democrats are ready to support not only their candidates but other pro-opposition candidates nominated under the majoritarian system, including the candidates of the ANM. “We are a liberal political power, all we are liberal politicians, for that reason we are ready to cooperate with any political powers, including the Armenian National Movement, and we understand it very well,” said Kokobelyan in answer to journalists’ question whether his political power has a conflict with the ANM. “These opinions are simply funny because there is nothing like that. I have always said that I am proud of the way I have passed and I am grateful to my friends – friends that really struggled with me and I had the pleasure to work with them. Simply everyone understands politics differently. The level of one’s freedom is the level of his/her understanding,” said Kokobelyan. Kokobelyan also informed that the Free Democrats would also nominate candidates under the majoritarian system, as well as in some precincts they would support non-partisan candidates. Concerning possible cooperation with Heritage party Kokobelyan says that negotiations on that issue still continue and all answers to those questions would be available after the general meeting of the Free Democrats party to take place on March 16. “I am hopeful and as a party leader I will do anything so that we have an opportunity to run in the elections jointly,” said Kokobelyan and added that all alliances in the parliament have been artificial and have made alliances for the purpose of being elected in the parliament only. “I think that the Free Democrats and Heritage parties have recruited people that do not have such problem,” he said. In answer to questions concerning proportional lists in case of making an alliance Kokobelyan said that he would see Raffi Hovhannisyan in the first place of that list. “personally I am ready to give my first place to Raffi Hovhannisyan and I believe he is the politician that should lead the list. I am saying it without any fake modesty and based on the current political situation,” said Kokobelyan and added that they would announce about the details of cooperation with heritage party during the general meeting of the Free Democrats party. According to the president of the Free Democrats party, the goal of cooperation would be creation of a new political environment in Armenia, in which the public opinion would be respected. Kokobelyan believes a new political environment is extremely important because the upcoming parliamentary elections will build the basement for the upcoming presidential election to follow, and then the elections for Yerevan council members.