BEFORE TAKING TO THE SEA THE SHIP WRECKS
Naira Khachatryan
Hayots Ashkharh Daily
Oct 31 2007
Armenia
RPA deputy-Chair, MP Galust Sahakyan expressed his viewpoint
regarding the recent internal political developments, in "Pastark"
club yesterday.
The accusations addressed to the authorities during October 26
demonstration have analogous answer, but this respond will be given
in proper time and at a proper place. "We don’t see any necessity to
give response, not because we don’t have response, but simply because
we want to look forward. And the responses will be given during the
campaign. I don’t think our processes are against anyone or anything.
We campaign for the "number" and we are not a party, using bad
language. But naturally in case of clear accusations we will give
clear answers."
G. Sahakyan believes demonstration based tactics will hardly be
effective in this campaign. "It is a bygone period. Demonstration
can’t be decisive, during the presidential elections; it is the main
election process that decides the election returns. Another thing is,
that your election campaign must be based on not using bad language,
criticizing the authorities, or seizing power, but through introducing
specific programs. I don’t share the idea that the more crowded the
demonstration the more spirit it will give. I even think that it is
better when there are less people in the meeting but certain programs
are introduced to society."
RPA doesn’t condition its strategy by the nomination of a particular
candidate. "Once the political domain becomes more serious and when
we see the candidates, naturally in case of ten candidates we will
change our strategy, in case of three candidates our strategy will be
different. Each day will be decisive, in operative sense. The thing is
about the campaign. So, we don’t separate any candidate as an opponent,
each candidate is an opponent for us."
There used to be a thinking that by the nomination of the former
President the rivalry will take an ideological nature. Are these
expectations justified? Touching upon this question Galust Sahakyan
underscored, " Frankly speaking, I was also of the same opinion. But
I’m disappointed because there is no political base for Levon
Ter-Petrosyan to be elected. I thought new approaches would be
proposed. But today I don’t hold this idea. "By the apt definition of
the RPA deputy-Chair "Before taking to the sea the ship is wrecking."
G. Sahakyan also touched upon RPA internal unification, " Everything
is peaceful and stable inside the Republican Party. The atmosphere is
trustworthy. And we will stand for the elections with full confidence."
G. Sahakyan believes the role of the Republican Party in this
pre-election phase is great, in the whole political domain. "Both
the opposition camp and why not the pro-governmental as well can’t
solve any issue without the Republican Party. That is why they must
say both good and bad things about us."
As for the success registered during the recent 10 years, the speaker,
showing deserved honor to the acting President, attached importance
to the teamwork as well. "The biggest role was the role of the
country’s President. But a complete team was working and the role of
the Republican Party was really decisive. The party supported the
President of the country. It is obvious that certain work has been
done and during the parliamentary elections the people gave their
evaluation to this work. " Speaking about the possible speculation of
Karabakh issue during the Presidential elections G. Sahakyan said," the
solution of Karabakh issue doesn’t depend only on the Presidents. It
depends on the people. We will not even try to stand for the elections
through the speculation of Karabakh issue. For us it is one of the
important agenda issues and we are in full command of the issue."
October 27 is also not a campaign topic. " It is intolerable when
people speculate similar realities, to come to power. They could
raise this question five years back, seven years back. Why now, on
the threshold of the elections? It is intolerable to use this for
the elections."
G. Sahakyan said it is not right to be guided by certain doubts. "
I have eye-witnessed and I have my subjective attitudes. I have always
had doubts. But this doesn’t mean that you should look for the guilty,
in order to come to power. They usually look for the guilty during
the trial. The thing that was said during the meeting could be said
during the trial; maybe thus they could be useful for the proceeding.
We are not the country to influence all the external challenges and
to be able to avert them. This is my subjective idea. And I will
never use the victims the martyrs of October 27 as a factor to come
to power. This is a terrible immorality."