YEREVAN. – Armenia’s last to presidents—namely, second President Robert Kocharyan and incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan—simply debased the whole value of the institution of the president. “People’s Power” social and political initiative founding member and opposition bloc Armenian National Congress (ANC) member Zoya Tadevosyan stated this during a press conference on Wednesday.   

In her words, a president should be intelligent, literate, hardened by some political processes, a prestige-possessing person whose word must be unequivocal. “Very often the person of the president becomes an example for the youth, the young generation. I don’t have that example from the example of the last two presidents,” Tadevosyan noted.  

Speaking of the current candidates for next February’s presidential elections, the ANC member said some of them have entered into a political game, whereas others are attempting to establish themselves. “The value of a president has fallen so much that any one can see himself as a president,” Zoya Tadevosyan added.         

Reflecting on the ruling Republican Party’s (RPA) assessment that President—and RPA leader—Serzh Sargsyan is the favorite in the forthcoming elections, the opposition figure said: “If he is the favorite, take him to your home! He is the favorite for you, not for the society.”   

Photo by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am