Artashes Geghamian, Opposition Rally, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2004

Until recently, one of Armenia’s most controversial and outspoken opposition leaders was National Unity’s Artashes Geghamian. After failing to make it through to the second round of the 2003 presidential election, Geghamian urged his supporters to boycott the vote leading other opposition party leaders to accuse him of secretly cooperating with the authorities. He had also been traditionally pro-Russian until the 2004 attempt to remove Kocharian from office saw him temporarily adopt a more pro-Western outlook in the hope that international support for regime change would be forthcoming.

Ironically, Geghamian was joined in 2004’s failed attempt to replicate a coloured revolution in Armenia by many of the same opposition politicians that had previously accused him of working with Kocharian and the then defense minister, Serzh Sarkisian. Since then, Geghamian’s popularity even among his traditional support base — the socially vulnerable — has dwindled and RFE/RL reports that the animated and sometimes extremist party leader is likely not to stand in next year’s presidential election.

However, it also adds that Geghamian will not necessarily endorse Ter Petrosian’s possible candidacy either.

Opposition leader Artashes Geghamian pointedly declined on Wednesday to announce his participation in next year’s presidential election and said he is ready to endorse another candidate.

[…]

Geghamian also replaced his customary harsh criticism of the Armenian government with calls for the consolidation of the country’s political elite for the sake of resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and other issues relating to the “salvation of Armenian statehood.” […]

Geghamian also revealed that he met with Ter-Petrosian two weeks ago to discuss “threats to Armenian statehood.” He said they reached no concrete agreements because of their differences on a number of unspecified issues.

The meeting was part of Ter-Petrosian’s ongoing consultations with various opposition forces which are aimed at building broad-based political support for his possible presidential bid. Speaking at a weekend AMK conference, Geghamian indicated that he is unlikely to endorse the ex-president.

The full post is available on the 2008 Presidential Election Monitor Blog.