Heritage Party spokesperson Hovsep Khourshoudyan stated at a press conference held today that the party had debated and decided to join the Armenian National Congress (HAK) in the upcoming May Yerevan municipal elections as early as February 21st. "This is going to be a political election and will play an important role, and thus we emphasized the need for unity," he declared.Mr. Khourshoudyan noted that his party informed HAK about its proposal but that HAK made its final position on the matter known without the possibility on negotiations. "I state this with regret, that their decision was made without consulting us," he commented and added that, "the decision they placed on the table wasn't subject to change. It was a matter of take it or leave it." He added that he was convinced that a joint ticket would have ensured an atmosphere of unity and a sense of joint struggle. The Heritage spokesperson stated that his party, whilst placing great importance on the position enjoyed by HAK and the role it plays in the life of Armenia and in oppositional politics, expected that the mayoral ticket would have been based on what its party had accomplished during the past few years. "I believe that victory will belong to the opposition in any event and the opposition is one body made up of different parts, for example HAK and Heritage," noted Mr. Khourshoudyan, adding that he didn't accept the view that the opposition is only made up by HAK. He noted that the Heritage Party ticket was only drafted after HAK came out with its own ticket. The spokesperson added that Heritage was directed in its deliberations according to the logic that, "There is a large swath of voters that find it difficult to cast their vote for Levon Ter-Petrosyan during critical elections. These voters are independent and even though so many forces went over to Ter-Petrosyan's camp a large mass of people didn't follow through and vote for him." In closing, Mr. Khourshoudyan called on the opposition press not to attempt to stir up clashes between the two opposition forces stating that it wouldn’t be in the interests of neither party and would only play into the hands of the common foe.