April 21, 2003 - 19:35 AMT
PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION CAMPAIGN STARTED IN ARMENIA
The election campaign for the parliamentary election planned May 25 started in Armenia today. Four political blocs and 17 parties claim the 75 deputy places on the proportional system. The blocs include Justice opposition block (137 candidates), Dignity, Democracy, Fatherland bloc (71 candidates), Liberal bloc (40 candidates) and Union of Industrialists and Women (15 candidates). Among the parties are the Republican Party of Armenia (120 candidates), Armenian Revolutionary Federation Dashnaktsutyun (101 candidates), National Unification (77 candidates), Powerful Fatherland (75 candidates), People's Liberal Union of Armenia (70 candidates), Orinats Yerkir (63 candidates), Ramkavar-Azatakan party (60 candidates), Renewed Communist Party (44 candidates), Armenian National Movement (41 candidates), United Workers' Party (40 candidates), Communist Party (39 candidates), Christian Democratic Union (33 candidates), Fist of Armenian Aryans Party (19 candidates), Justice Party (10 candidates). The number of majority places in the parliament is 56.