Armenian president calls for dialogue with opposition

Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
14 Apr 04

[Presenter] President Robert Kocharyan has announced that the
opposition forces are responsible for the events which took place on
Bagramyan Avenue. He said this at a meeting with the leadership of the
United Communist Party of Armenia. The president said that the
opposition should work on improving people’s living conditions. Today
the opposition has all the conditions for normal work. Robert
Kocharyan said the authorities have the right to intervene if the
opposition chooses to act differently so as to defend people and avoid
disorder and disturbances.

[Correspondent over video of meeting] At the meeting with the head of
state, the political bureau of the United Communist Party of Armenia
spoke not only about the party’s problems, activities and programme
but also about the internal political situation.

The leader of the party, Yuriy Manukyan, noted that young people are
now joining the ranks of the United Communist Party. The meeting also
discussed the country’s social and economic developments and the
structure of local authorities.

The participants in the meeting also called for stability and law and
order in the country. The communists also stressed that in no case the
opposition should disrupt stability in the country. Robert Kocharyan
spoke about the current situation in the country at the request of the
meeting. Speaking about the importance and need for dialogue, the
president noted that it would be wrong to avoid it.

[Robert Kocharyan, captioned] Generally speaking I think that it would
be wrong to avoid dialogue. I must say that during the last 12 and 18
months Armenia’s political forces, the ruling coalition, had many
meetings with representatives of the opposition. For as long as the
opposition position is black and white, there will be nothing to
discuss. This is where the problem lies. It does not mean that we do
not accept dialogue. When the dialogue is black and white it means an
ultimatum. Dialogue in the form of an ultimatum is unacceptable.

[Correspondent] Speaking about the recent events in the country, he
noted that the opposition is responsible for what happened. He
stressed that the police acted within its powers to prevent disorder
and establish law or order in the country. Stressing the importance of
the opposition to the country, President Kocharyan noted that the
opposition should channel its energies into improving the country’s
and peoples’ lives.

[Robert Kocharyan] No government can work productively without the
opposition. From this angle, the opposition must also support the
president’s intentions. What does the country’s president need? For
the government to work productively, the opposition must help it by
revealing shortages in its work. In the end, both the country and
people will win. But the opposition is now refusing to do this and is
acting differently.

[Correspondent] Speaking about the undesirable political events and
the opposition’s struggle, Robert Kocharyan noted that this was forced
on the people.

[Robert Kocharyan] First of all our people should understand that this
struggle is not their struggle. It is quite a different struggle. This
struggle and related events make no impact at all on the country’s
economy, financial market or investments.

There are positive tendencies. Whatever happened belongs to the
political sphere. I am sure that the conditions in our country which
is still developing are not yet right for that.

Nune Aleksanyan, “Aylur”.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress