How regression started
Vazgen Manukyan's National Democratic Union was the second powerful force [after Dashnaktsutyun] to appose the authorities during the 1995 election period.
Boris Navasardian, Chairman of the Yerevan Press Club (YPC), who carried out election monitoring with a European structure, still remembers the assessment of international observers.
"They sounded critical because there was lack of media diversity. Besides, the political parties participating in the elections were not given equal opportunities," says Mr. Navasardyan.
The YPC Chairman says many shortcomings were addressed during the 1999 election, especially in the work of media: people worked as they could at that time.
In 1999, the authorities had not yet thought of civilized methods to settle accounts with disobedient media. In 2003, these accounts were already settled as the parliamentary elections were preceded by presidential ones. Two independent TV companies were taken off the air, and the opposition had to take to the streets again.
