"THE AUTHORITY MUST BE READY TO REFUSE OF ITS POSITION"
Margaret Yesayan

Aravot.am
1 July 06

The leader of National Free Party of Armenia Hovhannes Hovhannisian
says who is also sure that the opposition must be ready to take
that authority.

Mr. Hovhannisian, how do you remark declaration of the cochairmen
that they refuse of negotiating, leaving the NK conflict settlement
to the parties?

The cochairmen showed by that declaration that they had been
exasperated and that the OSCE didn’t express a hope any more with
Kocharian-Aliev negotiations. They understood that this way was
expired. It became clear that Kocharian has negotiated during these
years being ready for concessions, but Aliev did just the opposite. The
negotiations have been failed as the result, which is full of danger.

Some standpoints made by the international structures make an
impression that Armenia isn’t important for anyone, if it is so,
in what the political powers of the country are engaged in?

I also worry about those processes, which are outside, the process
of the NK conflict settlement is being actively negotiated by
the rules of the new game, and this is indeed a new thing, which
didn’t exist since ’94. And showing the negotiating cards by the US
means two things. The first is that, maybe the superpowers have got
tired that the presidents of both countries keep everything under
lock. It is obvious that there is no settlement in the result of
the presidents’ negotiations and the Americans have decided to show
the cards making the societies to discuss the problem. The second
can be the circumstance that they don’t see the settlement of the
conflict by the rules of the current game that’s why they change the
rules of the game. In any case, this situation isn’t profitable for
us at all, because the geopolitical balance of Azerbaijan grows,
Baqu-Jeihan will be operated soon, Baqu-Erzrum gas pipeline, too,
Kazakhstan -Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan-Azerbaijan gas pile lines are
being constructed, and all these are a serious factor for Azerbaijan.

Factually, you consider very realistic Ilham Aliev’s declaration that
Azerbaijan will become powerful soon and will be able to settle the
NK conflict by force?

The interests of superpowers of the world connect with the interests of
Azerbaijan that is the superpowers must be interested in oil and gas
pipelines secure operation and they must try to pay for that security
and they must pay to Azerbaijan. Armenia as a factor has no card in
it. In these conditions Azerbaijan makes rude declarations about the
increase of military budget. And this means that Azerbaijan makes
the superpowers of the world understand if they don’t assist in the
NK conflict, it will become powerful and settle the conflict itself,
by force.

Which are the ways, you produced such a sad picture, that we think
we are in gridlock. But on the other hand we used to say nations’
self-determination, European standards etc. Anyway can the ways be
formed inside the country, in case of change of the home policy?

Nowadays there is such a situation that some persons have privatized
the NK conflict, I consider it their monopoly and they consult about
it with nobody but this isn’t the matter for one two, or four persons
are engaged in, this refers to the whole Armenian people.

Is there the opposition in Armenia and what future do you see for it?

That question has been manipulated for many times. Everybody has
the impression, that the authority powers become powerful, frighten
people, and take some persons into their parties. I don’t really
understand in favor of what all these are done. The country shouldn’t
be monopolized. They have oligarchized and monopolized the economy,
the policy, but they shouldn’t monopolized the political processes,
this is very dangerous and I don’t think those people don’t understand
it. If they don’t understand, it is bad but if they do it understanding
it is worse. I don’t refuse my ideas; the opposition must indeed
try to form a new alliance, new power based on ideological ground,
which must be ready to come to power. The authorities must be ready
to refuse of their positions at any moment for saving the situation
in Karabakh and Armenia.

Certainly I have doubts that they will do so, because some people have
pretended themselves Ludovik and think that they Armenia. The problem
of the opposition in this situation must be to form very quickly an
alternative for these authorities.