YEREVAN, December 23. /TASS/. The Mer Dzevov movement will announce its candidate for prime minister of Armenia in January, Narek Karapetyan, nephew of arrested Russian businessman Samvel Karapetyan and coordinator of the movement, said at a press conference as broadcast by local TV channels.
"We will announce the name on the day our political party is officially recognized. The name of the political party, as well as our candidate for the post of prime minister will be published at the beginning of the year during the congress dedicated to the creation of the political movement," he said, when asked whether Samvel Karapetyan will be the leader of the movement.
When asked about forming a coalition with other forces in case the registration of said political movement is denied, Karapetyan replied that this issue remains open until the pre-election period. "There are options under discussion. If all the processes proceed legally, then we do not see any problems. If they try to restrict the basic democratic rights of our public in illegal ways again, I believe that the public will show their discontent," he said.
On June 18, the Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime of the Armenian Interior Ministry detained Karapetyan. He is charged with publicly calling for the overthrow of the government. The businessman pleads not guilty.
Several cases were initiated in Armenia against the clergy of the Armenian Apostolic Church, who are accused of coercing into participating in rallies and calls for the seizure of power. After his imprisonment, Karapetyan said he intended to create a totally new political force that would address the pressing problems of the Armenian people. Later, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan called on those who make such statements to first renounce the citizenship of other countries.