Ara Abrahamian, an affluent Armenian businessman based in Russia, has revealed his ambition to set up and lead a political party in Armenia.
Abrahamian, who heads the Union of Armenians of Russia (UAR), said on Wednesday that if he finally decides to do that, his party will also contest the next parliamentary elections in Armenia due in 2017.
Among Abrahamian’s other immediate plans is also to set up what he described as a program of assistance to Armenia.
“If I see that there is a corresponding team, a correspondent political force…, leaders of corresponding countries or support from businesses as well as mechanisms of cooperation, of course I will take the final decision in March on whether I will take part in the elections or not,” the UAR president said at a press conference in Yerevan.
The 58-year-old tycoon emphasized, however, that if he engages in political activities he is not going to criticize his opponents – political parties or figures – but will only be presenting his programs to voters.
Nor does Abrahamian want to seek a change of government. “Naturally, I don’t want a change of power. I want to participate in elections,” he said.
The Moscow-based businessman who anecdotally lost up to $1 billion in investments in Libya after the fall of the Gaddafi regime in 2011, said he had numerous plans for Armenia ranging from promoting democracy and dealing with vote rigging to rebuilding the country’s economy. “We know and understand a thing or two, some mechanisms must be created to avoid violations during elections. We must turn to the president of the republic,” he said vaguely.
Abrahamian also said that when he decides on his plans regarding political activities he will travel to his native village of Malishka in the southern Vayots Dzor province of Armenia where he will announce the decision.
Some observers in Armenia believe that if Abrahamian establishes a political party it will be a pro-Russian type of party that will lobby Moscow’s interests in Armenia.