Competition, not confrontation

Yerkir/Arm
June 17, 2005

At a news conference in the National Press Club on June 16 Armenian
Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Bureau representative Hrant Margarian
shared his opinions on the current stage of the Karabakh conflict
settlement, ARF’s participation in the parliamentary election in
Karabakh as well as Armenia’s domestic and foreign policy.

What is Armenia’s position in the negotiation process? Are Armenia’s
policies regarding the Karabakh settlement process weak? Commenting on
these questions, Hrant Margarian noted that Karabakh remains on the
top of Armenia’s policy agenda. `I believe that Karabakh should have
much better conditions to develop and flourish.

I believe that our people should be much closer to the government and
this is why the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Party will be
actively participating in the coming elections in Karabakh,’ Margarian
said at the same time expressing his concern with the corrupt
practices that can be witnessed today in Karabakh such as misuse of
administrative resources and voter bribing in some case. Margarian has
visited Karabakh and met with the president of the Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic Arkady Ghukasian. He has voiced his concerns regarding the
above-mentioned issues.

`I hope these phenomena can be eliminated.’ Arkady Ghukasian has
assured Margarian that the elections will be held without
violations. `Either he will prevent the violations and prove that he
can keep his promise or he will fail to prevent them and will prove
the contrary.’ Commenting on the question why ARF is in the opposition
camp in Karabakh, Margarian noted that the government had moved ARF to
the opposition camp.

`We never see Karabakh as a place where we can struggle for
power. However, we were dissatisfied with certain issues connected
with socio-economic governance. We had a different position on those
issues.

Several months ago we tried to solve some of those problems while
being in the government. After we were forced into the opposition camp
we are now trying to do the same as an opposition force. But even now
we know our limits and we will never go beyond them. Stability is very
important in Karabakh and our opposition to the current government
should not lead us to a confrontation. Today we are in a situation of
competition rather than confrontation as an end in itself’.

Commenting on the current stage of the Karabakh conflict negotiations
process Hrant Margarian said that it is wrong to create a defeatist
environment in Armenia.

Margarian Margarian said his impression is that on the one hand the
international forces pressure Azerbaijan to accept that Karabakh (and
probably Lachin, too) should be joined to Armenia, and on the other
hand they pressure Armenia to accept that the liberated territories
should be returned to Azerbaijan.

“I don’t believe there is an Armenian who wants the liberated
territories to be reutnred,” Margarian mentioned. “But I admit that
the issue can be touched upon during the talks process for tactical
reasons, but when Azerbaijan refuses at all to consider the issue of
ceding Karabakh to Armenia de jure — on the contrary, militant
rhetoric prevails in Azerbaijan — then I don’t understand why are we
creating a seemingly defeatist mood among our people?

This is unwise, to say the least. Our people have paid a big price for
the liberation of Karabakh and will not let anyone surrender
territories.” He added that concessions should not include such issues
as Karabakh’s sovereignty, national identity and today’s factual
borders.

Margarian believes one should speak publicly about things around which
no compromise can be accepted while issues around which compromise can
be achieved should be discussed at a negotiation table. He says the
borders of any country are defined based on certain considerations.

The borders of the administrative unit that was called
Nagorno-Karabakh and was part of the Soviet Azerbaijan should not be
considered as a starting point while defining the borders of
Karabakh. Historic realities and security issues should be considered
as the basis for defining the borders of the Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic. This is what matters when defining the borders of any state.

`Karabakh was a bit late in this respect since it has not yet declared
control over the liberated territories. In this respect our activities
in Karabakh become political struggle’, Margarian noted. What will
ARF’s position be if Azerbaijan agrees to give up Karabakh including
Lachin?

Margarian will be glad for that since such an act will constitute 50%
of Armenia’s victory after which he will be waiting for the other 50%
– the liberated territories joining Armenia as well. `Those
territories were the guarantor of peace in the past years,’ Margarian
said noting that any agreement reached through negotiations should be
approved by the people.

Margarian commented on the issue of eliminating the ban on dual
citizenship from the Armenian Constitution. `The opinion that after
adoption of dual citizenship an uncontrolled situation will be created
is wrong. The law on dual citizenship will allow the Armenian
government to grant citizenship at the same time defining the new
citizens’ rights and obligations.

This is what they do in all the countries. The issue of dual
citizenship should be considered in this context. It is wrong to think
that millions of people will come to Armenia and others will be
deciding the country’s future. The opinion that thousands of Diaspora
Armenians will come to Armenia is exaggerated as well. I wish it could
be so. That would be a great potential and strength for Armenia’.

The relations between Armenia and Turkey and the process of Genocide
recognition. Margarian first expressed his doubt whether there are any
relations to speak about. `Any such relations were suspended on the
day when Turkey closed the border and put forward preconditions for
relations with Armenia.

Those preconditions are unacceptable. If we overlook them and speak
about relations with Turkey we put ourselves into a humiliated
position. Turkey is the one who closed the border and put forward
preconditions and says that it will open the border only if its
preconditions are satisfied,’ Margarian said noting that some people
tend to forget about this as if Armenia is the one who has closed the
border with Turkey.

`I can’t understand this. Relations with Turkey were severed because
of this country’s hostile policies towards Armenia. Of course, we need
relations with Turkey but such relations should be based on the
dignity of the two nations. Recognition of the Genocide is what the
Turkish nation needs itself so that it can free itself of the complex
of a genocide perpetrator,’ Margarian said.

How realistic are the rumors regarding the possibility of organizing a
revolution in Armenia? What is ARF’s position in this respect ` is it
pro-Russian or pro-Western?

These questions become urgent against the background of the statements
made by various opposition leaders regarding their political
orientation. `I would prefer all of our political forces, whether
pro-governmental or opposition, to derive from the interests of our
nation, to have an Armenian orientation. We are pro-Armenian and I
think the reason why some of our political forces turn to external
forces is their weakness,’ Margarian said adding jokingly that some of
our political leaders have started learning English.

Margarian advised the organizers of revolutions not to assume that a
revolution is like a theater performance that starts and ends at a
certain time. `If there is a revolution one cannot go on a vacation,
neither can one have any other interests. A revolutionary person is A
fighter. This is not what we have now when the opposition leaders go
to Spain for their vacation after the opposition demonstrations fail
to have a rest before coming back and starting a new revolution.

Revolutionaries have a hard life, they often have to work
underground. They are taken to prisons; they work with the people and
not go to vacations abroad. And if we see revolution as an attempt to
improve our lives ` well, then this is exactly what ARF is doing,’
Margarian said. Commenting on the activities of the political
coalition and the responsibilities of the member parties, Margarian
said all of the parties are responsible. He believes the coalition is
functioning only formally.

This is why ARF is doing its best to restore the Coalition Council
meetings. `If we are responsible for something we have to be truly
responsible. No one should try to cheat the others. We have to face
the reality. We are doing our best and I think we have succeeded in
achieving our goal. I hope we will be able to come to a situation when
we will be able to be truly responsible for the work of the
Coalition. I think this was a temporary difficulty and we will be able
to overcome it in the near future,’ Margarian said.

Commenting on the struggle against corruption, Margarian noted that
publicizing names will not change anything. The coming presidential
elections were also discussed at the meeting in the Press Club ` will
ARF support Robert Kocharian if he is nominated for the third time?
`ARF will have its own candidate in the coming presidential
elections. There is no point in speaking about a third term for
president Kocharian since he himself has excluded this possibility,’
Margarian concluded.

By Karine Mangassarian

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress