“BUSINESS CLASS” LEFT OEP
Anna Israelian

Aravot.am
11 May 06

As the businessmen entered into “Orinats Erkir” for insuring their
business as well as they leave the party for not threatening it.

Yesterday it became clear that those “OEP” members together with
Arthur Baghdasarian who voted against the account of the realization
of privatization of State Estate in 2001-2003 or were absent on 13 of
April don’t leave the party. And almost all deputies who abstained from
the voting /Samvel Shahgaldian, Grigor Margarian, Alexan Petrosian,
Sayad Zakharian, Arshak Mkhitarian/ have written settlements for
leaving the group without explanations. OEP deputy leader Mher
Shahgeldian didn’t interpret the circumstance that 13 deputies from
20 remained in the group. Giving the same answer to all questions;
” We’ll express our official position and approaches one of these
days”. And Hovhannes Margarian simply mentioned that “Orinats Erkir”
had 62 thousand members and it wasn’t a tragedy if 61994 remained.

Instead, the official newspaper of “Orinats Erkir” gives sharp
appraisals.

The main hero of the newspaper is the RPA group leader Galust Sahakian
where it is written; “Each negative speech pronounced by him gives
more results as everybody knows him” but it is mentioned in one of
the publications that there are people who become nervous hearing
Arthur Baghdasarian’s name and his party. First is Galust Sahakian,
that is the RPA parliamentary group leader. It is very interesting
that Galust Sahakian began speaking about “behavior”. But we can
hardly bear it when a person speaks about what he doesn’t have. But
we have always thought that a politician like him must think in first
what he speaks about. For example what Mr. Sahakian thought when he
said that the RPA was against Arthur Baghdasarian’s candidacy as the
NA chairman in 2003.”

There are affirmations that the OEP group distraction had been
coordinated by the President’s personnel, to our question whether
the RPA was interested in it Mr. Sahakian answered; “We don’t have
any connection with it and don’t welcome such demonstrations”. The
explanation of the RPA group why businessmen deputies leave the party
was the following; “I don’t think that this have connection with
business. Simply people felt themselves cheated”. We were interested
whether he had spoken to those deputies, is he sure that they feel
themselves cheated and Mr. Sahakian answered; ” It’s natural that I
have spoken as I also have friendly relations with some of them.

Thus, the OEP is the forth group by its quantity and yields as the RPA
and “People’s deputy” as well as “Justice”. Anyway its representative
can lead the parliament at request. Galust Sahakian assures that they
won’t demand Arthur Baghdasarian’s resignation; “I think we shouldn’t
change the formats and rules of the game in the half way”. But he also
mentioned if Arthur Baghdasarian “sends in his resignation I’ll respect
him more”. But OEP representatives don’t interpret the published news
that Arthur Baghdasarian was ready to take the step by which Galust
Sahakian would respect him. But the OEP deputies assured him not to
take that step. Hovhannes Margarian simply mentioned that OEP leader
doesn’t want to keep his post and authority. And Mher Shahgeldian
repeating Arthur Baghdasarian’s words said; “If we consider that
discrepancies and dissents are so much that it is impossible to work
together we can leave the coalition. This is our approach”.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress