“The PAP statement didn’t have a single clause, which would say that the party will nominate its own candidate,” during yesterday’s press conference said Hmayak Hovhannisyan, chair of the political scientists’ union of Armenia, number nine on PAP’s proportional list, who dropped down his mandate. For this reason and more, according to Hovhannisyan the party is trying to create a certain intrigue by refusing to join the coalition. “The PAP has two options of participating in the presidential elections. One of them is the tough option by nominating Robert Kocharyan,” he said and added. “The second option is their own candidate, which will enable them to bring their plans to life.” In the case of Kocharyan’s nomination, a quite rough competition will take place, according to Kocharyan. In the case of the soft option Vardan Oskanyan will be nominated and the struggle will proceed with predicted results. During yesterday’s press conference Oskanyan also spoke about the image of Robert Kocharyan. “Robert Kocharyan of 1998 and current Kocharyan are totally different politicians,” he stated and added, “they say a person changes within a day. Back then Kocharyan was a different politician. Today it’s not possible to predict what outcomes will be there is this option is confirmed but we should realize that this is one of the options.” Nonetheless, Hovhannisyan finds it possible for the PAP to endorse Serzh Sargsyan in 2013. He offers three options. First, PAP will support Sargsyan: this is possible only in a case if the President includes the party’s anti-crisis program into his own, PAP forms the government based on national agreement and appoints a ‘powerful figure’ as PM. Second option: PAP offers Vartan Oskanyan’s candidacy. And the third and tough option is offering Armenia’s second President Robert Kocharyan’s candidacy. As for the other powers, Heritage will offer the party head Raffi Hovannisyan’s candidacy, while the issue of the opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC) on offering the bloc head Levon Ter-Petrosyan is still to be decided. “The ANC should either undertake concrete and fast steps or will end up like the NDU,” said Hovhannisyan.
