Armenian ex-speaker says elections based on "lies and foolishness"

Text of report by Armenian news agency Snark

Yerevan, 20th May: Babken Ararktsyan, ex-speaker of the
Armenian parliament and chairman of the Republic faction, has
said that he "cannot take the current election campaign
seriously, for it is based on lies and foolishness".
In Ararktsyan's opinion, the number of those who are
taking part in the election marathon of parties and unions (21)
testifies not to democracy, but to a culture of impunity.
"Ramshackle parties that have no foundation cannot become a
serious political force," said Ararktsyan. He pointed out that
during the previous parliamentary elections in 1995, the
National Democratic Union (NDU), the Self-Determination
Association and the Communist Party of Armenia (CPA), which
represented the opposition, had their own programmes and each
party had acted independently. The current programmes of these
parties, as well as of other parties, are alike as two peas in
a pod.

"Let nobody wait for a bright future, it will not happen.
On 15th-20th June, we will live in an even worse situation than
today," said Ararktsyan.

Source: Snark news agency, Yerevan, in Russian 1330 gmt 20 May
99
BBC Mon TCU 200599 cal/ek