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With voter interest lagging in Armenia this election season, parties are trying to inject an element of show business into politics.

The names of celebrities, from both the performing arts and media, dot the slates of pro-government and opposition parties alike. Armenias parliamentary vote will be held May 6.

Over a dozen broadcast and print journalists are in the running for a seat in Armenias 131-member parliament, primarily for parties currently in power. So far, one popular singer has joined them, and some prominent TV actresses say that the governing Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) has approached them about their interest in appearing on the legislative stage.

Among the candidates for the RPA are Karen Ghazarian, the president of Sharm Holding, an advertising-media-production company. Also on the slate are public televisions First News anchor Samvel Farmanian, the privately owned Armenia TVs commentator Gagik Mkrtchian, Armenia TV producer Vahe Ghazarian, and Aravot newspaper reporter Margarit Esaian.

The Armenian National Congress, the countrys largest opposition group, features Haikakan Zhamanak newspaper editor-in-chief Nikol Pashinian, who was imprisoned following the post-2008 presidential election clashes with police, and newspaper reporter Gayane Arustamian.

168 Hours editor-in-chief Satik Seyranian and Chorrord Inqnishkhutin reporter Gohar Vezirian are running as non-partisan candidates.

In a February survey by the polling firm Sociometer, more respondents said they were not following the elections, or had no interest at all in politics (40 percent of 1,650 respondents), than expressed support for the leading party in the governing coalition, the Republican Party (16 percent).

Another member of the governing coalition, Prosperous Armenia, headed by tycoon Gagik Tsarukian, garnered 14.7-percent support, with ex-President Levon Ter-Petrosians opposition Armenian National Congress at a distant 3.5 percent. The support decreased still further for government coalition member Orinats Yerkir, and the opposition Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutiun, Heritage Party and Free Democrats.

Sociometer Director Aharon Adibekian commented that bringing in media and show-business figures is definitely a PR move by which the parties are trying to boost the attractiveness of the elections [for voters].

Some Armenian analysts agree, adding that the introduction of celebrity candidates may also be an attempt to move away from the clubby atmosphere of parliament in which politicians, when present, nap or play games on their computers.

Read more from the original source:
Armenia: Politics Embraces Entertainers and Media Types