ARMENIAN POLITICIAN CALL FOR REVOLUTION NOT EVOLUTION AFTER SPEAKER’S RESIGNATION

Aravot, Yerevan
18 May 06

Opposition politician Aram Sarkisyan has said that the only way
to solve problems in Armenia is by means of “a revolution”. In an
interview to the Armenian newspaper Aravot, he commented on Speaker
Artur Bagdasaryan’s resignation and said that Armenia may be forced to
hold an extraordinary presidential election soon because of President
Robert Kocharyan’s failure to establish control over the situation
in the country. The following is the text of Margarita Yesayan’s
report by Armenian newspaper Aravot on 18 May headlined “There is no
evolutionary way” and subheaded “The chairman of the Republic Party,
Aram Sarkisyan, drew this conclusion after the recent events”:

[Aravot correspondent] How do you assess what happened to the
Law-Governed Country Party [LGCP]? Such stories happen to almost all
political forces of Armenia from time to time and this is becoming
a bad tradition.

[Sarkisyan] The incumbent authorities have privatized almost all
spheres of the Armenian economy, as a result of which a monopolist
economy has taken shape. They are running the economy. Now they are
doing the same thing in the political field, trying to privatize it.

But this is a way that certainly leads to a catastrophe. We live in
the 21st century, but unfortunately, they are guided by the logic of
the 19th century.

[Correspondent] Do you think it is normal for a political force within
the government to always criticize the government and then defect to
the opposition for some reason?

[Sarkisyan] Every political force has its programme, goals and ideology
to pursue. Unfortunately, there are many adventurers parties of the
pro-government camp. Believe me if a similar process starts against
the Republican Party of Armenia [RPA], very few people will remain
with [Prime Minister] Andranik Markaryan than with [Speaker] Artur
Bagdasaryan. If a similar process starts against [Armenian President]
Robert Kocharyan or [Defence Minister] Serzh Sarkisyan, nobody will
remain with them. Those who left the LGCP had joined the party not
because of its ideology, but because they wanted to have a “roof”
[protection racket] for their business, evade taxes and acquire
property. Now that this “roof” does not exist any more and they can’t
get their slice of the government pie, those people went where they
could get such a slice.

[Correspondent] Can Robert Kocharyan use the current situation in his
own interests by telling international organizations that since there
is such a situation in the country, he cannot settle any problem and
give clear answers to the Karabakh issue?

[Sarkisyan] I agree with this view. Excuses like I broke my leg while
skiing, a foundation has to hold a meeting in the country and the
purely childish explanation that his watch is broken, do not work
any more. There is only one excuse: it is impossible to control the
domestic political situation. In turn, this might lead to more serious
threats. I think Robert Kocharyan’s failure to participate in a NATO
summit can be viewed in this context. The international community is
putting forward demands to him. He has put himself a situation and
I can’t help but feel sorry for him.

[Correspondent] Some people think that as a result of what happened
to Artur Bagdasaryan, Serzh Sarkisyan has found himself in a more
favourable position in the forthcoming presidential election. The
government had two likely presidential candidates and they are trying
to knock one of them out.

[Sarkisyan] I do not think Serzh Sarkisyan has gained anything. This
will not give him public support. What he lacks is public support
and real votes. Sarkisyan has administrative and financial resources
anyway. But I am sure that Armenia will end up in a force-majeur
situation and an extraordinary presidential election will be held
before the parliamentary election.

[Correspondent] If Artur Bagdasaryan defects to the opposition, do
you think he will unseat other opposition leaders, among whom there
are too many presidential contenders anyway?

[Sarkisyan] That is not right. There is too much room in the
opposition and any party that joins the opposition above all proves
that not everything is in order in the government and there is a
crisis. The more forces defect to the opposition, the easier it
becomes to overcome this crisis. But in our country everything is
the other way round. The opposition and authorities are determined
in elections, and in our country the opposition has always won the
election. Why do you think I don’t go to parliament? Because I think
it is illegitimate. If someone thinks that the previous election was
accompanied by violations and that future elections must be fair,
I regard this as a positive thing. The Republic Party has clearly
said that in this country, the only way to solve the problem is a
revolution. Artur Bagdasaryan tried to prove that there is also an
evolutionary way to solve problems. And here is the result. I think
he saw for himself that there is no evolutionary way. The only way
is a revolution.