Armenian opposition leader predicts revolution on heels of US visit

Haykakan Zhamanak, Yerevan
21 Jun 05

Text of Naira Zograbyan report by Armenian newspaper Haykakan Zhamanak
on 21 June headlined “Everything was done for the sake of Armenia”

An interview with the leader of the Anrapetutyun [Republic] Party,
Aram Sarkisyan.

[Correspondent] Mr Sarkisyan, your visit to the USA has generated an
unexpected interest in political circles. What has happened in the
USA?

[Aram Sarkisyan] At present, I do not want to go into details of the
visit. I would like to say only that what is most important is what I
am going to do after returning. I shall do what I was going to do
before visiting the USA but in a more consistent and confident way. By
the way, the timing of my visit was chosen correctly: Turkey’s prime
minister and foreign minister as well as our foreign minister were in
the USA and we stayed in the same hotel.

[Correspondent] Did you meet them?

[Sarkisyan] I will speak about all my meetings later. I can only say
what was done and discussed was done for the sake of Armenia.

[Correspondent] Does it mean that you were given specific guarantees?

[Sarkisyan] I can only say that democracy has no alternative in
Armenia and we shall achieve it in a very short period of time.

[Correspondent] You are still insisting on unscheduled elections in
Armenia.

[Sarkisyan] I am absolutely sure of this. In Armenia, it is impossible
any longer to establish democracy by means of reforms and in an
evolutionary way, and the authorities of Armenia are to blame for
this, as it is them who have brought about a situation when the
government will be replaced in our country only through a revolution.

[Correspondent] After your meetings in the USA there were views that
the format of the meetings clearly pointed to the fact that the USA
had already made a political decision about [Armenian President
Robert] Kocharyan’s departure. Did you gain this impression from
those meetings?

[Sarkisyan] Those were really high-level meetings which surprised me
in a sense. We shall not have any problem with the world if our
country is democratic. As for Robert Kocharyan, I never spread
rumours. Moreover, they have repeatedly expressed their attitude
towards the authorities of Armenia, stressing that the main principles
of democracy were violated in Armenia. They also openly say that they
support democratic countries.

[Correspondent] According to some rumours, the authorities of Armenia
tried to hinder some of your meetings in America.

[Sarkisyan] The Armenian authorities have not changed their working
style as there were similar obstacles when I was the prime minister
[1997-98]. For this reason, I do not rule out similar attempts this
time as well.

[Correspondent] Mr Sarkisyan, what is the mood among the diaspora?

[Sarkisyan] I think that my meeting with the Armenian diaspora was the
most important one. We have a very strong diaspora and it will
unequivocally support democratic Armenia.

[Correspondent] Los Angeles-based Zhamanak [Time] newspaper quoted you
as saying that immediately after returning to Armenia you might hand
in your deputy mandate and that the Anrapetutyun Party might leave the
Justice bloc. Is that really so?

[Sarkisyan] In politics, I have always been guided by the principle
that any step should be logical and necessary. At present, I do not
see such a necessity and I did not make such a statement.