Levon Ter-Petrosyan: "I am not optimistic that the elections will pass peacefully. It is a matter of life and death."
Armenian Acting Prime Minister and Civil Contract's candidate for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and the country’s second President and Armenia Alliance’s candidate for Prime Minister Robert Kocharyan are heading for a face-off. For them, this election is a matter of life and death. This opinion was expressed by the first President of Armenia and the candidate from the Armenian National Congress, Levon Ter-Petrosyan, during an interview with Public Television.
"This is an unprecedented campaign; such a talk of hatred filled with insults has never been seen before. This is just the beginning; we will see it all during and after the elections. It is known that both sides (referring to Nikol Pashinyan and Robert Kocharyan) possess huge levers — financial, criminal, and they will stop at nothing," said Ter-Petrosyan.
He stated that he expects some clashes during the elections, and that more severe confrontations will occur during the counting of ballots and post-election gatherings. Ter-Petrosyan expressed his pessimism, stating he does not believe the elections will pass peacefully, as both forces are not shy away from anything.
It is noteworthy that the pre-election campaign in Armenia began on June 7. The early parliamentary elections are scheduled for June 20, with the participation of 21 parties and 4 alliances.