IS BARGAVACH HAYASTAN GOING TO BE OPPOSITION OR GOVERNMENT?
James Hakobyan

Lragir.am
14:14:31 – 24/12/2008

On December 23 the leader of the Bargavach Hayastan Party held
a briefing and made rather interesting statements about the home
political problems and particularly action against the economic
crisis. The meeting itself is interesting, considering that Gagik
Tsarukyan seldom shows up at the National Assembly, and in case he
does, he always holds briefings.

Ostensibly, Tsarukyan went to the National Assembly on December 23
for the briefing but he wanted the briefing appear as spontaneous
rather than the initiative of Gagik Tsarukyan.

The difference may not seem significant but this time it is. Most
statements by Gagik Tsarukyan are also significant. For instance,
the leader of the Bargavach Hayastan Party stated that he will not
participate in the auction of Bjni Company and does not advise anyone
to do. Or, Gagik Tsarukyan announced that in order to tackle the
economic crisis it is necessary to grant privileges to the Armenian
businessmen to enable them not to cut jobs.

According to Gagik Tsarukyan, after the crisis it will be possible
to return to the previous mode. In this context, Tsarukyan hinted at
the problem of beauty parlors, hotels, other facilities which offer
services. It is known that several weeks ago the government decided
to boost taxes on companies which offer services. In other words, the
Bargavach Hayastan Party disagrees with the policy of the government
because the government has not granted any privileges to the local
businessmen, except for the ones the businessmen coalesced with the
government have been enjoying for many years now.

By the way, according to a lot of press reports, Gagik Tsarukyan, who
is known as a close oligarch of Robert Kocharyan, also enjoys a number
of informal privileges. It is not ruled out that this circumstance is
the reason why Gagik Tsarukyan actually expresses disagreement with
the government policy, not fundamental but made of fine threads. It is
not ruled out that in February, when the conference of the Bargavach
Hayastan will be held during which a surprise is expected, the party
will turn its fine disagreement into tangible one, which will probably
be the surprise which Gagik Tsarukyan considered as possible a few
weeks ago on the Public Television. Certainly, it is hardly possible
that the Bargavach Hayastan Party will announce to leave the coalition
or demand the resignation of the prime minister. On the other hand,
what other surprise can the party give?

At least now it is difficult to imagine other surprise, except the
option that in February the second president Robert Kocharyan may
choose to join the party as the most convenient option of returning
to politics. However, in this case it is evident that the Bargavach
Hayastan Party must aspire to an important post because Robert
Kocharyan will hardly agree to be an ordinary member of the Bargavach
Hayastan Party and be limited to the post of leader of the party. Even
if he does, it will last too short.

In this context, the so-called external political expressions of the
Bargavach Hayastan Party appear rather interesting. The leader of the
party visited China, participated in the conference of the Russian
political party Yedinaya Rossia, missing the consultation of Serge
Sargsyan with political parties on the Karabakh issue. Afterwards,
Gagik Tsarukyan met with the president of Croatia, which is especially
interesting in the context of the press reports that Robert Kocharyan
has bought real estate in Croatia where he reportedly spent his summer
holiday. Afterwards Gagik Tsarukyan signs a document on cooperation
with the leader of the Party of Regions Yanukovich.

All this is evidence that the Bargavach Hayastan is preparing to give
a significant surprise in February.