February 4, 2003 - 18:22 AMT
OPPOSITION COMMON CANDIDATE AT ARMENIAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS MAY BE KNOWN FEBRUARY 9
The final decision on nominating a common candidate from opposition at the coming presidential elections in Armenia will be passed February 9. As "De Facto" agency was informed in the electoral headquarters of candidate for president, chairman of the Democratic party of Armenia Aram Sargsian, intense talks coordinated by the chief of the electoral staff of the 16 opposition parties Vagharshak Harutyunian are in process at present. According to the source, a common candidate should head the national security council formed of opposition representatives. At the same time, the opportunity of cooperation with those representatives of the state machinery, which will support the joint candidate's program is not ruled out. "The opposition does not want any overturns or experiments. Armenia has got a lot of unsolved issues, in particular, the problem of the Karabakh settlement. We consider this issue can be solved only by consolidating all the sound forces of the society," - a representative of the electoral staff said.