OLD FORMS OF STRUGGLE TO RUIN THE STATE
Gevorg Harutyunyan

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
Published on April 18, 2008
Armenia

Leader of National Democratic Union Vazgen Manukyan met with the
journalists in "Tesaket" club, yesterday.

This is how the Leader of the National Democratic Union explained his
decision not to join Ter-Petrosyan: "We have introduced diametrically
different ideas to the people. I don’t share the viewpoint that Artsakh
is a problem for our people. But I can’t say that no political figure
has the right to have such standpoint. And when they say that Karabakh
people are to blame for everything and that we must throw them out
of Armenia, on the first hand it insults my national consciousness
and on the other hand it contradicts the human values. To divide
people into good or bad based on their skin color, or religion or
indigenous, is a pure manifestation of fascism. If you attentively
study our standpoints you will see that they are incompatible."

V. Manukyan confessed that he failed to understand the post-electoral
demand of the opposition: "What we demanded in 1996, at post-electoral
stage, was to recalculate the election returns. We didn’t announce
that the opposition’s united candidate has won and must sit in the
Presidential Palace. The same was in 2003 and the election returns
were determined at the second stage of the elections. In 2008 Levon
Ter-Petrosyan directly announced that he had obtained 65% votes and
that he must sit in the Presidential Palace. It was a really unique
demand, which derived to the terrible events of March 1."

Touching upon the current developments Leader of the National
Democratic Union underscored that he has already congratulated the
President, Serge Sargsyan, and the Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan,
he also said that he approves all the appointments.

"Today the issue is different. Some people long to see this government
overthrown. They think that it will bring to a new situation and
the struggle for power will acquire a new sense. But they are not
interested in what state Armenia will appear due to this "struggle".

According to the speaker there is another way: "I’m a pro-oppositional
political figure and I’m ready to help the government in power do
well. If we see that the state is facing dangerous problems and if
we see that the reforms are acceptable for us we will definitely
endorse the government. In case of problems we are ready to hold
demonstrations to protest until we attain our purpose." Vazgen
Manukyan came to a conclusion that it is not right to repeat 1988
or 1996. This method hinders the existence of powerful and serious
parties. People don’t participate in the political life though they
have lots of complaints. They wait for a "hero" to appear during the
elections and withdraw the evil powers.

"In 1988 we were a different state, waging a national-liberation
struggle. Maybe I should have acted in a different way in 1996. But
one thing is clear, we will only ruin the state with the old forms
of struggle."

At the request of the correspondent of "Hayots Ashkharh" daily
Vazgen Manukyan pointed out his standpoint regarding the coming
developments. He firstly considered the adoption of the new
Constitution important, and said that only after that it will be
possible to form the state government system, through the local and
state elections.

"We have entered a stage of new changes and these changes are
unavoidable. The more fundamental changes the authorities make, the
more time they will have to govern. The overthrow of these authorities
won’t do well to Armenia. It is impossible to repeat the scenario of
1996 and achieve the result of the resignation of 1998. The political
situation is different at present and the acting powers are also
different. I don’t see any reasons for the President to resign and
the National Assembly to dissolve."

It also turned out that the Leader of the National Democratic Party
had met with Serge Sargsyan, responding to the latter’s appeals for
dialogue: "We didn’t have any

discussions regarding the positions. But I have stressed the importance
of changing the government staff and that it is indispensable to
bring Armenia out of this situation. In the present situation it is
not right to stay in proud loneliness, like a dragon standing on the
way of truth. I’m not saying that the President must resign because
I have suffered defeat and I don’t like him. It is too early to draw
final conclusions, but it is possible to see the dangers and hope to
overcome them."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress