February 8, 2011 - 16:12 AMT
ARF Dashnaktsutyun says no negotiations are held with Armenia’s second president

Representative of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun supreme body Armen Rustamyan said that the party does not negotiate creation of pro-Kocharian bloc during the next elections.

“Dashnaktsutyun does not hold meetings with Robert Kocharian,” Rustamyan told a press conference in Yerevan.

He added that the ARF Dashnaktsutyun supported Kocharian for two times at presidential elections only after raising certain problems and introducing the practice of coalition memoranda. “Referring to provisions of these memoranda, we often stated that we will withdraw from the coalition, if they are not fulfilled,” said Rustamyan.

He also commented on the current political system in Armenia, noting that the entire activity of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia has led to the fact that the party, state and power have become interlaced, while the existence of parties should not depend on their presence in the government or authorities.

He noted that the President should be above partisan relations to secure and guarantee the activity of executive, legislative and judicial authorities, stressing that Robert Kocharian was not a member of any party, what provided him with the opportunity to be an arbiter.