"WE CAN’T OPEN SO MUCH TO LOSE OUR TYPE"
Margaret Yesayan

Aravot.am
16 June 06

The ARF GB representative Armen Rustamian said

– Factually, the ARF controls the spheres which have connection with
various strata of society; social, health protection, agriculture
and education, whether Dashnaktsutiun wanted to control those spheres
for the coming elections?

– When spheres were divided in time, just the opposite logic acted,
people were avoiding of being responsible in those spheres where
there were a lot of problems. But we were understanding very well
if we wanted to be involved in the coalition with just that logic we
can’t avoid of those problems.

Certainly this includes a serious risk in it and it also exists
now. I don’t say we have succeeded to achieve serious changes, but I’m
sure we have been right. We became responsible for that risk and I’m
sure we have created some necessary prerequisites some of which have
given their results. And we will represent to the people just with
that account during the elections. We must undergo that trial and we
seriously prepare for it. It isn’t a secret that there is a way when
you can’t be responsible and keep criticizing. It is very profitable
way and a lot of politicians try to act in that way during the
elections in Armenia. But we are ready to be aware what we have done.

– There are businessmen deputies in the ARF plenipotentiary list;
don’t you have any apprehension that your businessmen will also be
made leave the party? Are you going to participate in the coming
parliamentary elections together with businessmen?

– We participated in the elections in 2003 with an open list relative
to the ARF for the first time because we could hardly imagine some
years ago that so many non-party persons could be involved in the ARF
list. We are known for our traditional nature and in this case it was
also a change in our approaches. We did it but keeping an important
principle. We can’t be opened so much for losing our type. If we
don’t manage to keep our type, we can’t speak of old history of our
party. And that well-formed tradition has directed us for making our
selection in looking before leaping principle. And we don’t need in
those businessmen with whom we have worked for a long time for only
the elections but they have been corresponded to the typical example of
national bourgeoisie. They aren’t only businessmen, owners of serious
business, but they also do their best for making the economy of our
country powerful.

– Are you going to enlarge the list of your mentioned national
bourgeoisie in connection with the coming elections?

– If it is possible to have partners like them in that field,
certainly, we’ll enlarge that field with great pleasure.

– Don’t have any apprehension that they will leave some day?

– Judging from what I said above, no, I don’t have such
apprehension. There have been trials for the ARF, too. I must say
that they have stayed with us because they have adopted our decisions
and we haven’t made them to adopt those decisions, because we have
considered us as the political elite and them as the economic subject.