HINTS FOR KOCHARYAN AND OSKANYAN

Lragir, Armenia
Dec 27 2006

The minister of defense Serge Sargsyan twice used the phrase "like
others" during his interview on December 26 with the Public Channel
of Armenia. Judging by the topic he was speaking about, he considers
the foreign minister Vardan Oskanyan as "other". The point is that
first Serge Sargsyan used the phrase "like others" in speaking about
his future political career. The minister of defense said he could
state "like others that he has been in the government for 14 years
and leave", but he thinks that he must work and cannot "leave to
enjoy life", Serge Sargsyan continued. Serge Sargsyan did not mention
Oskanyan’s name. But the problem is that Vardan Oskanyan is the only
minister who stated that one need not remain minister for more than
a decade. In other words, when Serge Sargsyan says "like others",
he cannot mean a person other than Vardan Oskanyan.

For the second time the minister of defense said "others" in speaking
about running for presidency. Serge Sargsyan said "like others" he
has the right to run for presidency. Since two representatives of the
government, Serge Sargsyan and Vardan Oskanyan, appear to the public
with aspirations to presidency, ostensibly, one representative Serge
Sargsyan meant the other Vardan Oskanyan when he said "like others"
he could run for presidency. It is possible, however, that the minister
of defense meant others, in particular, Robert Kocharyan.

The problem is that Serge Sargsyan announced that he complies with
the requirements of the Constitution for a candidate for the president
of Armenia and has the constitutional right for nomination.

This is a very subtle hint for Robert Kocharyan who did not have the
constitutional right to be nominated in 1998 and 2003 because he did
not have ten years of citizenship of Armenia and had not lived in
Armenia for the past 10 years.