THE AGE OF VANISHED OPPORTUNITIES
Lilit Poghosyan

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
Published on April 15, 2008
Armenia

Leader of Armenian Christian-Democratic Party Khosrov Harutyunyan
responds to the questions of "Hayots Ashkharh" daily.

"Do you still believe that the agenda of the "negotiations" between
the opposition and the authorities is not exhausted? Don’t you think
that the continued "escalation" of intolerance and enmity by Levon
Ter-Petrosyan and his surrounding reminds of the saying "once a wolf
always a wolf, a leopard can’t change its spots?"

"Unfortunately we didn’t manage to maintain and develop the democratic
achievements our people used to have during and after the elections. In
essence we lost the opportunity to improve the quality and the
contents of the state governing by means of political dialogues and
mutual understanding, thus contributing to the democratization of
the public life.

The period after March 1, in this regard can be considered a period
of vanished opportunities.

When Ter-Petrosyan announces that he has only two principle resources
of political struggle – foreign mediation and enmity, even in case of
possessing very bright imagination it is very difficult to consider
this struggle political. Hatred is poison by which a person usually
harms firstly himself. To sew hatred little by little, but constantly,
means to poison the public organism. It is impossible to cure by
hatred.

For me this mode of action is simply intolerable and incomprehensible.

Hatred – towards whom, your own people? Hatred – among different groups
of people? Believe me it is extremely destructive and it can’t have
anything in common with politics."

"Once Ter-Petrosyan closed his door on the face of the Catholicos of
all Armenians today his followers have started a campaign aimed at
discrediting Armenian Apostolic Church in the person of the Catholicos
of All Armenians."

"Similar stance towards the church is completely intolerable. There is
a feeling that they have set a task to shatter the founding pillars of
the state and the national statehood. I’m really concerned about it and
our party joins the recently published appeal of the intellectuals. We
do believe the historical role of Armenian Apostolic Church in our
history is really great and similar infringement upon the church and
His Holiness is really intolerable.

The task of the church is also very complicated. After the 70 years
of atheism, it is facing the really difficult duty of restoring the
meaning of the religious authority. It is also not an easy process
and what we must do is to support His Holiness in this issue. This
is evident. For Armenian Christian Democratic Party these issues are
much moral actual and we are very sensible towards them."

"In recent times they threaten to take the power by force, in case
the hope for "peaceful takeover" is exhausted. Doesn’t this mean that
the conversations about negotiations is naïve, mildly speaking?"

"Unfortunately the intimidations regarding the intensification of
tension are maintained. God Willing I’m wrong. Anyway the role of the
authorities is very important in this issue. After all it is from the
authorities that people demand law and order, as well as qualitative
change of the political process and it is natural, because people
usually make demands to the structure that is competent to take
decisions. Consequently the government in power must take certain
steps, no matter what the opposition thinks about it.

The ruling power must form the agenda of the dialogues, and appeal
to all the political powers in the written form, to inform them that
this or that day they are starting open discussions and dialogues by
this or that agenda.

Those who consider themselves responsible will participate, those
who don’t will be responsible for exacerbating the situation.

Second: we must understand that the election returns can’t be a
matter of discussion any more; they are from the field of political
adventurousness. In essence even the western observers and the
international structures don’t link the post-election events,
especially the tragic events of March 1 with the elections and all
the more as the legitimacy of the President. In reality they have
nothing to do with one another, because the results of the voting
are credible and trustworthy for the overwhelming majority of society.

Unfortunately the events of March 1 cast shadow on the election
returns, but it doesn’t mean that the legitimacy of the elections is
vulnerable. This is the essential thing."

–Boundary_(ID_RmzlnQJCJbDXPG+TLscqB A)–