In the initial period, we were hesitant about whether to run in the [June 7 parliamentary] elections or not. But during these days of the [election] campaign, the conviction that participating is right was strengthened, since there is a significant part of the people who want to hear our words. Nerses Gevorgyan, an MP candidate from the National Democratic Pole (NDP) party of Armenia, told this to Armenian News-NEWS.am Friday.

“A significant part of the people wants to hear our words. Regarding the Artsakh [(Nagorno-Karabakh)] issue, which we do not refuse. We do not want to live under the yoke of either Russia or Turkey. We want to move forward while preserving our sovereignty, our spiritual values,” Gevorgyan added.

He noted that within the framework of the current election campaign season, the NDP members hold meetings in Armenia’s provinces and in the capital, Yerevan. In addition, they present the NDP’s vision of the future of Armenia to the public through social platforms and the media.

“Of course, the media provide the greatest access. We notice that the state media, which support [PM] Nikol Pashinyan, have a biased position. In order to maintain equality, they invite us for interviews more in the initial part of the [election] campaign, or invite [us] with those forces with whom they imagine that we should be competitors. But in reality, we consider everyone to be our competitors, and we have something to say to everyone,” said Gevorgyan.

When asked how they assess their chances in the upcoming parliamentary election, how many seats they expect to win in the National Assembly, he replied: “The situation in Armenia is such that any outcome can be expected. For various forces, any outcome in this situation has become probable; for that reason, making predictions in this situation is not very correct. My opinion is that we have very good chances not only to enter parliament, but also to play a significant role.”

To the question as to which political forces they consider cooperation with possible in the post-election period and which forces they exclude cooperation with, Nerses Gevorgyan replied that it is still too early to talk about it, since the situation is unstable.

“The situation is fluid at the moment; blocs that seem impossible at the moment may become possible tomorrow. In this regard, I would not like to talk about restrictions prematurely. Our long-term work experience has shown that the [political] forces [in Armenia] usually avoid cooperation with us, although we have repeatedly called for cooperation at least on critical issues,” he said.

And when asked why the political forces do not want to collaborate with the National Democratic Pole party, Gevorgyan replied: “We have always acted from a radical position in terms of justice and protecting our national interests, many forces do not like that.”

Source: https://news.am/en/news/1035699