ANC: Heritage offered its leader’s withdrawal in exchange for 5 constituencies

 March 26, 2012 - 15:50 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenian National Congress (ANC) opposition bloc representative, Haykakan Zhamanak newspaper editor-in-chief Nikol Pashinyan said he would not like to comment on Heritage party leader Raffi Hovannisian’s statement on withdrawing from parliamentary race in the 7th constituency.

“I refuse to comment on the issue (ANC’s retaliatory steps) unless the withdrawal is confirmed de jure,” he told a press conference, noting that Heritage suggested that ANC discuss distribution of majority constituencies between opposition forces to avoid competition.

However, Mr. Pashinyan said that following Raffi Hovannisian’s call for cooperation between opposition forces, Heritage proposed ANC to withdraw candidates from 1, 4, 6, 9 and12 constituencies in exchange for party leader’s withdrawal from the 7th constituency.

“ANC believed the proposal illogical and an irrelevant basis for negotiations,” he said.

ANC member further said that the Congress did the utmost for the nation to have an alternative, nominating a large number of majority candidates among opposition forces – 38 (only in 41 constituencies) for that purpose.

A leading Armenian oligarch Samvel Alexanyan, head of Heritage opposition party Raffi Hovannisian and ANC member, Haykakan Zhamanak newspaper editor-in-chief Nikol Pashinyan are registered candidates in the 7th constituency. Nonpartisans Vardan Vardanyan and Tigran Grigoryan also run for parliament in the same constituency.

Today, March 26, Mr. Hovannisian declared about his withdrawal from parliamentary race urging other opposition forces for cooperation at majority elections.