BATTLE FOR LEVON TER-PETROSYAN?
Lragir.am
20 Oct 06
The first president of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan will run in the
presidential election 2008, stated Ararat Zurabyan, the chair of
the administration of the All-Armenian Movement. "I believe that
the appearance and activity of Levon Ter-Petrosyan, and his word
will have more importance than the activities of several political
forces of Armenia," says Ararat Zurabyan. However, he says, his
confidence is not the result of his talk with Levon Ter-Petrosyan
but his personal impression. Perhaps, it is not worthwhile to mention
that the All-Armenian Movement will nominate Levon Ter-Petrosyan.
Thereby the figures of the previous government appear in a curious
state, when two forces representing the former government consider
Levon Ter-Petrosyan their candidate. The point is that Babken Ararxyan,
the informal leader of Alternative, a union created several days
ago, expressed his personal opinion that Levon Ter-Petrosyan is his
candidate. Ararxyan announced, of course, that if Levon Ter-Petrosyan
is not nominated, they will go on to think what to do.
Meanwhile, Ararat Zurabyan knows what to do. He stated that the
All-Armenian Movement will propose another candidate, and according
to Zurabyan, it could be Babken Ararxyan.
This statement, which appears innocent at first sight, acquires an
absolutely different shade when we consider that Babken Ararxyan
and other former members of the All-Armenian Movement set up a new
political union, which was criticized by Ararat Zurabyan one or
two days ago. In fact, Ararat Zurabyan has a milder opinion now and
says he does not want to say anything negative about Alternative,
adding that this force has been set up recently, and it takes time
to evaluate their activities.
"We are a political force which works. If say two, ten or one hundred
figures choose to follow another path, we do not try to prevent them,
or to join, or not to join. The All-Armenian Movement is a separate
unit, I think it is serious enough to work, to act and unlike others
we alone can do more," says Ararat Zurabyan. He tries to find out that
his criticism was determined by the worry that the establishment of
Alternative can give rise to a number of problems.
"When there is something, definite, there is a political party.
Generally, the political party is the place of political activities,
in normal societies, I think it is wrong to set up another unit.
People have set up a unit which they think is the right way. I think
it is not. I do not battle this unit, I have no wish and have no such
intentions. I am ready to cooperate, I am ready to do everything.
Maybe the problem is different. Nobody put the question differently:
why is this unit set up or why Babken Ararxyan did not want to become
the chair of the administration of the All-Armenian Movement and
preferred to lead 18 persons rather than a political party," says
Ararat Zurabyan. And though he states that there is no need to seek
controversies between Alternative and the All-Armenian Movement,
he nevertheless, displays these controversies. And when he says it
is unnecessary to seek, he probably means that there is no need to
look for them because the controversies are evident.
These controversies can be settled by Levon Ter-Petrosyan, in other
words, the nomination of Ter-Perosyan can bring together Alternative
and the All-Armenian Movement. But this is highly hypothetical because
for the time being Ter-Petrosyan divides these forces. For instance,
Ararat Zurabyan states that in 1996 Ter-Petrosyan’s election campaign
was badly coordinated, and the candidate, who had 70 percent of votes,
hardly won the election. One may ask what relation Alternative has
with this. The relation is that in 1996 the headquarters of Levon
Ter-Petrosyan was led by Babken Ararxyan.
"Do you think the election in 1996 was the result of good
coordination? If there is anyone who thinks that Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s
team was coordinated correctly in the election 1996, which produced
an outcome, you are mistaken," says Ararat Zurabyan, which allows to
conclude that the member of the administration of the All-Armenian
Movement is simply joking when he says that after Ter-Petrosyan the
next candidate, the reserve, will be Babken Ararxyan, who hindered the
absolute victory of Levon Ter-Petrosyan in the presidential election,
making it appear doubtful. However, Zurabyan’s words allow concluding
that his criticism is directed against the coordinator Ararxyan,
because Zurabyan says maybe he was a bad coordinator but he will make
a good candidate. And why not? Especially that Ter-Petrosyan could
lead Babken Ararxyan’s election headquarters.