On February 15 and 16 on the air of “Yerkir Media” TV company two final “The
Face of the Country” programs were broadcast. The program is produced under
a project of Yerevan Press Club supported by the UN Development Program. As
it has been reported, it was planned to conclude the cycle by TV debates of
presidency candidates. Yet due to the refusal of most of them Yerevan Press
Club had to reconsider the format, and representatives of election headquarters
of all nine RA presidency candidates were invited to take part in the last two
programs (see YPC Weekly Newsletter, February
8-14, 2008) . Representatives of two candidates – Artashes Geghamian and
Arman Melikian – for various reasons declined the invitation.
The guests of the host of the final TV debates, the Yerevan Press Club President
Boris Navasardian were the presidency candidate of “National Accord” party Aram
Harutiunian, the representative of election headquarters of Artur Baghdasarian
Hovhannes Margarian, the representative of election headquarters of Tigran Karapetian
Karapet Hakobian, representative of election headquarters of Vahan Hovhannesian
Hrair Karapetian, representative of election headquarters of Vazgen Manukian
Shavarsh Kocharian, representative of election headquarters of Serge Sargsian
Galust Sahakian, representative of election headquarters of Levon Ter-Petrosian
Suren Abrahamian.
On February 15 “The Face of the Country” gave floor to discussing the development
of political debate institute, the possibility of holding free and fair elections,
the influence of external factors on the elections, “the war of compromising
materials”. On February 16 the debates centered on the problem of Mountainous
Karabagh conflict resolution, the social and economic development of the country,
the relations between the authorities and the opposition.
