JIRAIR SEFILYAN’S STATEMENT
Lragir
Dec 20 2007
Armenia
On December 20 the coordinator of the Civil Initiative for the Defense
of the Liberated Territories Jirair Sefilyan released a statement on
the question whether Levon Ter-Petrosyan will return Artsakh if he
is elected president.
"After the September 21 address of the first president of Armenia the
representatives of the Serge-Kocharyan regime and their propaganda
machine lost their nerve and attacked Levon Ter-Petrosyan with
different accusations, including the accusation that he wants to sell
Karabakh or he wants to do it after becoming president again. Over this
time Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s supporters have answered these accusations,
however, I consider it as my duty to touch upon it," runs the statement
by Jirair Sefilyan.
Jirair Sefilyan thinks in 1998 no situation had occurred which would
compel Levon Ter-Petrosyan to resign for the settlement of the Artsakh
issue. "I am sure that he had other reasons to resign, and I think
it is not expedient to mention those reasons now," Jirair Sefilyan
says. He thinks each of the proposals on settlement offered since
1998 has been a step toward regress.
"However, for whatever reason, the devotees of the present regime
have never considered them as defensive. On the upcoming days we
will release the statements, ideas, outlook of this regime and the
pro-regime forces on the Artsakh issues since October 27, 1999. The
purpose is one: to remind our people who are accusing Levon, who
unlike them had the good sense and courage to reveal the content of the
confidential talks. These ones put on a mask of a pseudo-nationalist
and obeyed the recommendations of the Minsk Group that "the presidents
are ready for peace, the publics are not". To bring this idea into
being, the Armenian government was instructed to prepare people
to accept these difficult concessions. The anti-Armenian regime
which assumed the duty to "process" people, led by the minister of
defense Serjik Sargsyan, used the dependence of political forces,
the military, the intelligentsia and others to make them approve the
line of territorial concessions," Jirair Sefilyan says.
According to him, unlike the present government, Levon Ter-Petrosyan
has never trespassed on the political debate on Artsakh, and in
this debate he has always referred to the government and people of
Artsakh. "Under Kocharyan Artsakh left the process, and two people
started making decisions. If under Levon there was special (but
not enough) focus on the program of resettlement of the Liberated
territories, and privileges to migrants, thanks to which their
number grew day by day, these ones did the opposite thing, eliminated
privileges, put a person in charge of it who can hardly be referred
to as human, and in a short period of time the number of migrants
halved," says Jirair Sefilyan in his statement.
He says although Levon Ter-Petrosyan does not deny his past stance
on the issue of Artsakh, his statement that he does not know the way
out of this deadlock with Azerbaijan’s stance becoming tougher is
evidence that Levon Ter-Petrosyan will not hurry with the settlement.
Meanwhile, according to Sefilyan, Serge Sargsyan stated in Moscow that
Armenia is ready to recognize the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan,
besides he stated that Levon Ter-Petrosyan comes to return Karabakh.
"I am against the idea that Levon the president will return Artsakh.
It is not true. Yes, we disagree on the issue of Artsakh, and the main
disagreement is that we reject any document on the table of the talks
which include territorial concessions. At the same time, I believe
that Levon Ter-Petrosyan and his supporters, as Armenians, are also
against returning territories, but unlike us, they are pragmatic
activists and believe that the problem cannot be solved without a
compromise. Therefore, if they are offered a way out which will enable
the implementation of programs for stability in the region (railroad
and transport), we think they will agree to that option. In answer to
the question if there is another option, we say yes. After removing
this anti-Armenian regime we will reveal it, which we believe people
will approve. Unfortunately, we cannot call this public administration
a state. I am sure that if Levon comes to power, he will not consider
the settlement of the issue of Artsakh as a priority. He is coming to
restore statehood and constitutional order. And to be for his return
is not to be for returning the liberated territories. I repeat because
this issue is not involved in the program of "cleaning the Augean
stables". Therefore, the rumors and gossips that he is coming to
return Artsakh are clear slander and a result of ignorance," runs
the statement by Jirair Sefilyan.
In the end Jirair Sefilyan says no Armenian government will agree
to return the land liberated at the expense of lives of Armenians,
and if it happens, it will get people rise against that government.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
