ARF Concludes Campaign Ahead of Sunday’s Election

BY ARA KHACHATOURIAN

YEREVAN—The Armenian Revolutionary Federation concluded its campaign for Sunday’s parliamentary elections with a  massive rally Thursday night at the Liberty Square and dual press conferences by candidates running on the party’s list.

Thousands flocked to Liberty Square on Thursday for a massive rally that featured the party’s prominent candidates ARF Supreme Council of Armenia Chairman Aghvan Vardanyan and ARF Bureau member Armen Rustamian, who highlighted that the ARF’s campaign has been the only one that has truly addressed the key issues that concern the citizens of Armenia.

From economic reforms to pledges for justice for all people, the ARF has campaigned on a platform that places the individual’s rights and aspirations ahead of the what it calls personal gains, which it says other parties and blocs who are taking part in the campaign.

ARF election campaign member and director of Yerkir Media Gegham Manukyan welcomed the crowd, who had gathered to hear the ARF’s message and also to celebrate the party’s achievements, especially the hard-fought campaign.

Based on the new electoral code, all campaign must cease by the end of the day on March 31 and campaigning is prohibited by law on April 1, one day ahead of the elections.

At a press conference Friday afternoon at the ARF Supreme Council of Armenia headquarters, Vardanyan reiterated the party’s commitment to ensuring that the elections would be successful, which he deems to mean that violations of past elections would not be repeated on Sunday, due to changes to the country’s election code.

“Those who were skeptical about the elections will take part in this election due to the new rules and processes,” said Vardanyan, who stressed that the new election process will ensure that past discrepancies would be avoided.

“I am confident that the new election process, with all of the safeguards against violations, will ensure a successful election,” added Vartanian.