Lragir, Armenia
Dec 5 2007
REFUSAL TO REGISTER RAFFI HOVANNISIAN WAS AN OBLIGATORY MOVE ON
BEHALF OF THE GOVERNMENT
After the question and answer session of the parliament on December 5
Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan held a briefing and answered questions
about home political developments.
Question: Mr. Prime Minister, recently the Yezidi community has
stated to support Serge Sargsyan in the presidential election, that
Serge Sargsyan is their president. Stories headlined `President of
Yezidis’ came out. What is your opinion?
Answer: It is difficult to measure wickedness, it is too difficult.
Certainly, I have heard about those descriptions. I’d like to remind
the pronouncement of the ex-prime minister of Russia Mr. Chernomyrdin
who said they wanted it to be better, it turned out as always. This
time they wanted to sting, they failed. Because I am proud that the
Yezidis consider me as their candidate. I would be very happy if the
Jews, the Russians, the Assyrians, the Kurds who live in Armenia made
such statements. I mean the minorities, therefore I did not mention
the Armenians, because the president of Armenia should be the
president of everyone. Because it is impossible to build good Armenia
for only the Armenians. In other words, I am amazed by how narrow
minded they are. Nevertheless, I advise you to take it easy.
Question: How about sending troops to Iraq? In the National Assembly,
which affirmed the proposal to prolong the mission of our troops to
Iraq, many were against. Are you sure that you took the right step by
prolonging the mission?
Answer: I am sure. I have answered a lot of similar questions, I gave
enough arguments and I think it is pointless to talk about it once
more. I will repeat one argument only. We are a small country, we
must make efforts whenever we stand a chance to be not only a
consumer but also a builder of security, give instead of getting. All
the other countries, which do not participate in the peacemaking
activity in Iraq, have other opportunities to become involved in the
international processes, and they participate in other ways. I can
give a number of examples but since it is not advisable to mention
separate countries, if you dive into your memory, you will recall a
number of countries which participate in this with immense sums, and
so on. I am sure we are making the right step.
Question: Mr. Prime Minister, you have visited the French embassy
today. What was the purpose of the visit?
Answer: I did not have a definite purpose. It was a working meeting.
I have a great number of such meetings, if not every day, at least
several times a week, we inform about all of them. Although I
understand the context of your question, you mean why others announce
about such meetings with excitement. It is their problem. Everything
is normal, it is a working visit. Yesterday I met the U.S. Charge
d’Affaires, a.i., today I met the French ambassador in the morning,
we had lunch, the day after tomorrow I am meeting the ambassador of
Bulgaria. It is working stuff.
Question: Raffi Hovannisian was not registered. What are your
thoughts on this?
Answer: I think refusal to register was an obligatory move on behalf
of the government. I am very sorry that the law bars Raffi
Hovannisian from running in the election because I think he would
have had a positive role. But imagine the requirements of the law are
not observed, the election takes place, and someone who got 4 or 5
percent disputes against the results to the Constitutional Court,
accusing us of registering an ineligible candidate, and claims that
the outcome of the voting is not valid. What shall we do? We cannot
hold an election every time. But I think his participation would be
good for several reasons, I am sure the process would be calm, and
people who hope for the second, third or fourth place would be set
back by a step.