Edmon Marukyan: The presidential chair should be occupied by another  person; we propose the candidacy of Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan

ArmInfo. The upcoming elections in Armenia are not ordinary, and therefore the Bright Armenia party is participating in them under unusual circumstances.  The party pursues a single goal: to protect the statehood, identity, memory, history, established culture, traditions, religion, and the  European-model nation state of the Armenian people. This was stated by party leader Edmon Marukyan at a press conference on May 7.

He noted that the party is running in the elections under the slogan  "Protect Our Identity." "We call on people to vote for Bright  Armenia, which will be able to form a faction in the National  Assembly dedicated to protecting the identity of the Armenian people   within and outside the country, while contributing to the formation  of the future government."

Marukyan also unveiled the campaign's symbol: a shield depicting the  pillars of Armenian identity. "Here you can find symbols of the  Armenian people's centuries-old history, including the Coat of Arms  of the Republic of Armenia, which is currently under threat. You are  aware of the struggle to remove Mount Ararat from it. Next in line  are the God-given figures of Mesrop Mashtots and the Mother See of  Holy Etchmiadzin, representing us as the first Christian nation."

He emphasized that their election program includes a provision for  reforming the institution of the presidency. "Before dismantling the  'super-prime ministerial' constitution before changing that  constitution we believe there must be a different person in the  presidency. We propose Mikael Ajapahyan, Archbishop of the Armenian  Apostolic Holy Church and Primate of the Diocese of Shirak, who can  no longer fulfill his mission because he is a political prisoner. We  see our vision embodied in his candidacy. We have also invited all  political forces to express their views on this matter," Marukyan  noted.

Karpis Pashayan, second on the party's list, continued the address by  clarifying that an Archbishop of the Armenian Apostolic Church cannot  be a party functionary or represent a specific party. "We present  this as a National Vision: to have a respected, authoritative  individual in the presidency capable of countering an unrestrained  executive power that encompasses everything the Prosecutor General,  the Speaker of Parliament, the Chief Investigator, and even the  'Chief Poet.' We are talking about Nikol Pashinyan," Pashayan said.

He also explained another of the party's slogans, "Remontada." "This  is a football term meaning a 'comeback' escaping this cycle of  humiliation. Since the defeat in the war, Turkey and Azerbaijan,  acting through our authorities, have been leading the Armenian people  and Armenian statehood down a path of daily humiliation and  degradation. We must exit this path and restore Armenia's power,"  Pashayan emphasized.