ARMENIAN PRESIDENT-ELECT INSISTS ON READINESS TO WORK WITH OPPOSITION

Azg
February 28, 2008
Armenia

Armenian Prime Minister and president-elect Serzh Sargsyan has insisted
that his calls for the country’s political forces to cooperate in
a future coalition government are serious. Answering questions from
MPs in parliament on 27 February, Sargsyan said that he had already
received offers of cooperation from various opposition forces. The
results of the 19 February presidential election are contested by
former President Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s supporters, who maintain it
was rigged in Sargsyan’s favour and demand a repeat election. The
following is an excerpt from Marietta Khachatryan’s report by Armenian
newspaper Azg on 28 February headlined "The opposition has already
responded to Serzh Sargsyan’s call for cooperation: Gagik Jhangiryan
is not a political figure for Serzh Sargsyan":

Journalists were waiting for the question and answer session between
the parliament and the government, since they had numerous questions
related to the post-election situation to put to the acting prime
minister [as received] and president elect [Serzh Sargsyan] after
the parliament session.

There were not any particularly heated questions and answers in the
hall before this, as MPs from the [ruling] Republican Party of Armenia
spoke about the necessity to extend the economic growth to Armenia’s
remote regions and about global agricultural programmes, MPs from the
Armenian Revolutionary Federation – Dashnaktsutyun raised questions
related to various spheres, MPs from the Orinats Yerkir [Law-Governed
Country] Party were not present, and only two MPs from the [opposition
faction] Heritage asked questions related to the situation.

Before this Parliament Speaker Tigran Torosyan congratulated Serzh
Sargsyan on his victory in the presidential election, as these four
days are the first session after the Central Electoral Commission
announced the final results of the election [on 24 February], and
voiced hope for fruitful cooperation between the parliament and
the president.

[Passage omitted: Sargsyan presented with flowers]

Asked by Anahit Bakhshyan from Heritage what actions are being taken
in line with Sargsyan’s call on political forces and civic groups
to cooperate yesterday [26 February], Sargsyan said that he said
in his speech yesterday what kind of cooperation he was proposing –
right up to establishing a coalition government. He did not go into
more details: "I do not think that parliament is the platform where
details should be discussed. Those who are ready for cooperation are
welcome, we will put it into the practical plane and will start to
discuss it in practice."

Bakhshyan tried to clarify whether what is at issue is a mere call
or some specific step. "Ms Bakhshyan, I never gave anyone occasion to
think that I engaged in trickery," the prime minister said. "There have
already been reactions from the opposition concerning cooperation. We
are already working starting from today. If you react as well, we
will be pleased to work with you as well."

Later, while responding to a question from one of the journalists, the
prime minister said that both presidential candidates and forces not
represented in the parliament have reacted to the call for cooperation.

Another question was asked by Armen Martirosyan, also of Heritage.

Referring to an act of violence against MPs during the presidential
election, and what he referred to as "political persecution and
arrests of several figures, citizens and students", and noting that
there are many people who own arms nowadays, but the law is applied
selectively in regard to them, [Martirosyan] asked whether the law
applies equally to everyone.

Sargsyan agreed with the MP that very big efforts should be made to
eliminate the legal illiteracy of officials and MPs, which is a big
problem, and called upon MPs to take part in this works. He said that
he does not understand the division between an MP, a public figure and
a citizen of the Republic of Armenia. "All citizens of the Republic of
Armenia are equal for me. Illegal arms are illegal arms – whether they
belong to an MP, a political figure, a member of the [paramilitary]
Yerkrapah Union of Volunteers, or an ordinary citizen.

Illegal arms have always been confiscated, and now [confiscation]
is growing in scale, and I promise you that we must totally eliminate
the availability of illegal arms in this country."

He promised to inquire into the case initiated on charges of using
violence against Zaruhi Postanjyan [Heritage Party MP], Armen
Martirosyan and Vardan Khachatryan, and advised the MP to deliver
his ("populist", as suggested by the Republican Party of Armenia’s
benches in the hall) speech in the appropriate place. Speaking of the
arrest of political figures, Sargsyan said: "For me, Gagik Jhangiryan
[former deputy prosecutor-general, sacked after voicing support for
Ter-Petrosyan] is not a political figure. If he is a political figure
for you, then you as a young political figure should be inspired by
such examples."

Approaching Sargsyan after the microphone was switched off and he had
descended form the tribune, Martirosyan maybe told him which political
figures inspire him and pointed in the direction of Raffi Hovhannisyan
[the leader of the Heritage Party], who was present in the hall.