ARAM KARAPETIAN IN THE AUTHORITY SPHERE
Naira Mamikonian

Aravot, Armenia
Nov 6 2006

In his words, both "New Times" and the authorities are in the same,
pro-Russian sphere.

"New Times" Party issued a statement on October 31 affirming that
the unknown person, who phoned Aram Karapetian and tried to connect
him with criminal elements, had performed RA Defense Minister Serge
Sargsian’s, RA chief of Police Hayk Haroutiunian’s and RA NSS chief
Gorik Hakobian’s order.

It’s strange that all scandal stories connect with Aram Karapetian,
and the initiators are always RA power ministries. What do they always
become the target?

In A. Karapetian’s opinion it may be explained by two circumstances:
"First of all we, as the opposition, mostly play in the authority
field,"- "NT" leader stressed, taking into consideration his and the
authorities’ pro-Russian orientation where they try to demonstrate
their power. "The authorities have always tried to demonstrate that
they are always in geopolitical, pro-Russian sphere. On the other
hand our party becomes a rival with its pro-Russian orientation.

Anyway, the political logic leads to it", – "NT" leader said
Mr. Karapetian said on the occasion of the lack of activity in the
opposition field that there were visible and invisible sides of
processes. The visible side is political and public passivity inside
the country, irrespective of invisible side where "great processes
occur", in particularly in the context of geopolitical developments.

He gave as example; the problems connected with Karabakh, Iran,
Georgia, where the orientation of the authority isn’t obvious. "For
example, mutual relations with the outside world, when people have
promised several things to several places but the year is over
and they don’t manage to keep their promise", – A. Karapetian
said and added: "In my personal opinion, the authorities try
to deepen "complementarism" and to sit on two chairs, giving
promises everywhere". He meant our authorities’ promise given to
the authorities of Georgia not to assist any of the parties in the
context of Russian-Georgian relations".

Taking into consideration the circumstance that we have a conversation
with a pro-Russian politician who is well informed about any
information coming from Russia that R. Kocharian had discussed with
his Russian colleague during his last visit to Moscow about his
possible resignation at the end of the year or at the beginning of
the coming year. It is also said that after Kocharian’s resignation,
during the coming 2-3 months, Serge Sargsian will succeed him and
Ara Abrahamian, the head of World Congress of Armenians, will be
appointed in the post of Prime Minister.

"I have heard such kind of conversations but as I don’t have any
reliable information, it will be unserious to tell anything about it.

At the same time, I think there is a certain ground for those
conversations", – A.Karapetian said.

As regards the conversations about Serge Sargsian and Ara Abrahamian,
A. Karapetian noted that those conversations were demonstrations
of PR. "I remembered an anecdote: a man says to his friend that his
wife always reproaches him, that the neighbor’s 80 years old husband
does everything and he isn’t able to do anything. The friend answers
him, you also say. I didn’t say it was a lie, I simply remembered
an anecdote. I also may say that in my opinion, Armenia has such
agreements, for example with Nigeria, according to which David Lokian
will become the head of that country and Vahan Hovhannisian will
become the Prime Minister. Let’s say, – A. Karapetian joked.