TRANSITIONAL PERIOD FOR TSARUKYAN
Hakob Badalyan

Lragir.am
01/12/09

The absence of the BHK leader at the RP congress was quite interesting
in particular under the latest inner-governmental developments and
the famous video appeared in internet, Gagik Tsarukyan’s latest TV
activeness, the famous "debate" of the BHK leader Gagik Tsarukyan
and the member of the RP board Ruben Hayrapetyan.

Gagik Tsarukyan’s absence was explained by his earlier planned personal
and working visit to the U.S. But the RP congress was also planned on
November 28 and it was not decided say, in the evening of November
27. Gagik Tsarukyan is possible to have planned his visit to the
U.S. earlier than the RP congress day was decided, but whether his
visit was so important not to be able to re-planned.

Perhaps we do not have to make superfluous conclusions. Merely, the
fact that Gagik Tsarukyan is often absent lately from events with
Serge Sargsyan’s participation is a fact. While, Gagik Tsarukyan
left for Russia and Ukraine to participate in the congresses of the
Yedinaya Rossia and Regions’ Party.

Is this a ground to see disagreements between the RP and the BHK
parties? Of course, it is not. The disagreements existing between these
two parties are not to be expressed by their mutual participation in
congresses and conferences. These disagreements lay under the concept
of power and its Armenian perception as well as in the bases of the
transitional period of the government when in Armenia the president
has changed or is still changing with all its consequences.

The point is that in Armenia, power means not only administration
of levers provided for the government by the Constitution but first
control on the economic field and capital. In Armenia, those who
control the economic sphere have the power. Gagik Tsarukyan is one
of the major representatives of that sphere. He reached this status
during Robert Kocharyan’s tenure when he was considered the number
one oligarch even if in Armenia the concept of an oligarch is relative.

Naturally, for a person who reached their present status during
Kocharyan’s tenure the transitional period of the presidential change
cannot be fluent and without problems. Serge Sargsyan, who became
or is becoming the president of Armenia, in order to successfully
complete this process, has to solve the issues on the complete control
on the economic sphere. Naturally, he will seriously deal with Gagik
Tsarukyan succeeded during Robert Kocharyan’s tenure who besides his
economic status, got also some tangible political status.

Now, Serge Sargsyan and Gagik Tsarukyan have the problem on clarifying
Tsarukyan’s economic status. Either Tsarukyan goes on being the number
one oligarch of Armenia owing for it Serge Sargsyan, or Serge Sargsyan
has to have his own "baptized" oligarch.

Alongside with this, Serge Sargsyan’s environs are not to be forgotten
where there are several candidates for that status, Robert Kocharyan is
not to be forgotten either for whom Gagik Tsarukyan is the last circle
connecting him with the power. This is the problem. This problem
arouses objectively, regardless the warm relations of Tsarukyan,
Serge Sargsyan, Robert Kocharyan and others. Power is out of their
personal relations and includes wider issues including ones connected
with international partners.

As once, Robert Kocharyan said during an interview after having left
his office, power supposes for concrete public responsibility it
cannot be in shadow. There is always a concrete responsible person
for the power which is now Serge Sargsyan. Consequently, either he
takes everything under his responsibility or he appears under it.
From: Baghdasarian