`HERITAGE’ – NO MORE THAN A MICROPHONE
GEVORG HARUTYUNYAN

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
Published on July 12, 2008
Armenia

As we now for different reasons `Heritage’ party was obliged to
postpone its regular congress. Finally it took place yesterday. But the
congress didn’t manage to confirm anything. The settlement of all the
issues is still under the responsibility of the administration. The
staff of the administration was in essence re-elected.

Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan, representative of ARFD bureau Hrant
Margaryan, Leader of `National Renaissance’ Alvard Bazeyan,
ex-presidential candidate Arman Melikyan participated in the single
pro-oppositional party represented in the parliament. And leader of the
People’s Party of Armenia Stepan Demirchyan, leader of `Hanrapetutyun’
party Aram Z. Sargsyan, and Hovhannes Hovhannisyan came to listen to
Levon Ter-Petrosyan.

The Prime Minister Wanted To Connect The Bridges

In his welcome speech Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan firstly confirmed
that in a short period of time `Heritage’ party managed to `unite
members and supporters around its program and ensure representation in
the legislative body’. And the fact that the latter is the only
pro-oppositional party represented in the parliament is the
`peculiarity of the present political situation’ and underscored that
the party must shoulder additional responsibility in front of its own
electorate, the extra-parliamentary opposition and the country in
general.

`I came here to connect the bridges. It is very easy to burn the
bridges. I came here to say that we need strong opposition. And it is
far not a gesture of politeness. Strong, constructive opposition means
strong society, strong state. We don’t fear strong criticisms and
daring proposals, because we need them,’ the Prime Minister announced.

The Biggest Treachery

After a little period of time Levon Ter-Petrosyan entered the hall
accompanied by his guards Levon Zurabyan and Davit Shahnazaryan.

Approaching the tribune he firstly showed the real place of his
favorite `Heritage’ party. `I will try to place this congress in
Armenia’s present day internal political situation and in the context
of the pan-national movement.’

It turned out that `Heritage’ party is the `microphone of the
pan-national movement in the Parliament and in PACE bureaucratic
apparatus’. `I don’t want to humiliate anyone. As a formality there
should be one or two pro-oppositional parties represented in the
parliament. But of course they can’t change climate. It is extremely
difficult to play a positive role in a corporative club,’ Ter-Petrosyan
noticed pessimistically.

Touching upon `the alliance formed around me’ the speaker gave an
exclusively true characteristic to himself and the pre-election
alliance. `It is a real anachronism. The elections are over and it
should change its contents. He said he is `planning to create a serious
political factor, which will not be temporary and will not pursue an
exclusively situational goal. It will unite a total conscious political
society from independent political developments.’

He also added: `The political situation in Armenia is so complex that
the parties can’t overcome it separately. We are going to live in this
evil for 10 more years. Everything depends on whether or not the people
will tolerate it. If the authorities try to suppress this movement it
will be an anti-national policy. It will be the biggest national
treachery.’

IMMEDIATELY AND RIGHT AWAY

Raffi Hovhannisyan stated: `only the truth will save our country and
will help the republic and the people progress, move towards
national-democratic and civil prospects.

But he also added that the re-elected administration would decide the
format of the participation of `Heritage’ party in the works of NA
temporary committee investigating March 1-2 developments. The decision
was, in essence pre-determined by the following announcement: `Can the
National Assembly enjoy trust, in case when the parliament itself has
got its share of guilt in what happened.’

Touching
upon internal and external issues, the relations with Turkey
and Azerbaijan R. Hovhannisyan expressed standpoint that we will find
solutions to all the issues in case: `we manage to have a
democratically united society and ruling power.’

`What we need is dialogue and national support. Immediately and right
away. Otherwise we will have to hold new elections to discharge the
created situation.’