(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Armenian prime minister Serge Sarkisian could become the country’s next president, according to a poll by the Armenian Sociological Association. 31.9 per cent of respondents would vote for Sarkisian in next year’s ballot.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Armenian prime minister Serge Sarkisian could become the country’s next president, according to a poll by the Armenian Sociological Association. 31.9 per cent of respondents would vote for Sarkisian in next year’s ballot.
Gagik Tsarukyan—an independent politician and one of Armenia’s wealthiest men—is a distant second with 12 per cent, followed by National Assembly chairman Artur Baghdasaryan with 11.2 per cent, and former president Levon Ter Petrossian with 3.8 per cent.
Armenian president Robert Kocharyan was re-elected to a new four-year term in March 2003 in an election marred by fraud allegations. The next presidential election is scheduled for Feb. 19, 2008.
On Apr. 4, Sarkisian became Armenia’s new prime minister following the death of Andranik Markarian. The Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) was headed by Markarian until his death, and is now primarily led by Sarkisian.
In May, Armenian voters renewed the 131-member National Assembly. Final results gave the HHK 32.82 per cent of the vote and 64 seats, making it the strongest party in the legislature. On that same month, Sarkisian said he would seek the presidency next year, declaring, "The elections showed that our party got a serious vote of confidence, and if the party decides so, I will definitely run."
On Oct. 1, Rule of Law (OY) party member Artashes Avoyan announced that Baghdasaryan would be their presidential candidate. Avoyan said the choice was made due to Baghdasaryan’s "high approval rating."
Polling Data
Who would you vote for in the presidential election?
|
Serge Sarkisian |
31.9% |
|
Gagik Tsarukyan |
12.0% |
|
Artur Baghdasaryan |
11.2% |
|
Levon Ter Petrossian |
3.8% |
Source: Armenian Sociological Association
Methodology: Face-to-face interviews with 1,000 Armenian adults, conducted in October 2007. Margin of error is 2.2 per cent.
