– Mr. Zohrabyan, as a result of a recent survey on part of sociologist Aharon Adibekyan the Propserous Armenia party is in the first place with its reputation. In addition, the head of that party Gagik Tsarukyan is the first person that people would like to see as president or prime-minister. Isn’t the Republican Part of Armenia concerned of such information?
– These surveys are not like the reality and they look more virtual because they say “if there are elections”. Certainly I can answer such statements with “if” too. If it was reality, the name of the incumbent president would be in that list. If these name is not there, it means those surveys are virtual. We are against by-elections due to simple reasons and of course the name of the president cannot be in a list discussed for extraordinary elections. Sociologists are free to conduct surveys and polls everywhere and on any issue they want. If the president of the country is not in that list, it means that somebody else can be in the first place. Also, Aharon Adibekyan understands it very well that the coalition powers have an agreement, which writes that the president endorsed by the coalition in 2013 elections will be the incumbent president. Even Gagik Tsarukyan and his PA party will endorse the president’s candidacy. This means that it was an alternative survey and it did not change the commitments of the coalition.
– What is the alternative version? Do the authorities have alternative scenarios?
– No, what I am saying is that there is a memorandum, an agreement of three political powers to endorse Serzh Sargsyan during the presidential elections 2013. Certainly there cannot be surveys out of this logic, even for by-elections. Even I have said recently that if there is by-election, the ANC will collect the minimum number of votes. I think I was not mistaken. Adibekyan is saying that too and he means that the ANC should wait for the ordinary elections otherwise they will lose in by-elections.
– Is this survey targeted against the opposition for the purpose of showing that the PA has more reputation than the opposition ANC power? The ANC is demanding by-elections now.
– Even if you say that you are in good relations with all coalition powers, we see that there is some tension between the RPA and PA, which is sharpened from time to time.
– You said that the tension had passed since the coalition announcement. However, on May 23 Gagik Tsarukyan said in the parliament that their party would run in the parliamentary elections alone and in answer to question concerning presidential elections he said that he would say that later. This means that he did not approve the coalition’s commitment to support one candidate. If he makes such announcement, it means that he wants to either originate tension or get prepared for doing another thing, however the RPA did not pay a due attention to that announcement.
– You are forgetting the fact that the coalition partners meet also with unofficial format. We know each other very well and it was a little intrigue, folklore.
– Does the RPA still believe that the PA will endorse Serzh Sargsyan’s candidacy during the presidential election 2013 and will not have its own candidate?
– As far as there is no new announcement about the coalition memorandum, I mean an announcement that they are changing their opinion, we do not have a right to suspect because we negotiated for a long time to sign under that document. I think that is the way it should be as there is morality in politics, and if you have said something, you must keep your promise. If you give up on your promise, you should at least make an announcement about that.