– The government-opposition dialog has been proceeding for over a month now. Do you think it’s proceeding productively?
– It’s still early to speak about the results at this point. In general the evaluation of the efficiency of the dialog depends to what extend the processes in Armenia develop toward the change of government in the country. Initially ANC has declared that they will evaluate the dialog based on the criterion when the government will realize that Armenia is close to the Egyptian scenario and agree to leave the power voluntarily. ANC has stated that if by September a mechanism of the change of government is not developed and planned the dialog will cease.
– How do you estimate the opinions that certain circles express, according to which they believe that by continuing the dialog the government is merely trying to stretch time?
– ANC has a clear goal. If we were the ones to stretch time then we would go on a vacation just like many others. But the opposite happened that the political circles of Armenia of the third Republic have never had such an active and tense political summer. The only exception is perhaps 1996 but at that time we were undergoing the presidential campaign and it was connected with electoral processes. The ones that speak about stretching time are the ones, who are stretching time.
– So what is the ANC planning to do if the government never agrees to snap elections?
– There will be fragmentation.
– How will it be demonstrated?
– The Congress will mobilize a maximum number of protesters in the Liberty Square and they will demand snap parliamentary and presidential elections. Will this be efficient or not? There is such a political concept – decisive majority. If the opinion of the majority of the Armenian citizens is expressed in the Liberty Square it will be impossible to shun snap elections.
– Are you sure that ANC will be able to gather than many people again? Often the rally participants complain that they were sent home for a month and longer.
– I have no doubt that during the decisive moment the decisive majority will be at the Liberty Square and they will not go home. Instead they will send home the leaders of the gangster-government.
– Don’t you find the version of cancelling the snap elections if the dialog takes too long? I mean the ANC-government may just prolong this opportunity by certain processes.
– In order for me to respond we should both understand what we understand by saying other process. The gangster-state should be destroyed. For that we have two options – either fragmentation or dialog. If there is the third option and if it’s a political one then it should be offered. Finally the important is not the means but the goals. The tactical goal of this period is to get rid of the incumbent government and the long-run goal of the formation of a free and happy Armenia, where democracy will be an irreproachable value and the constitution will be an irrefutable law. I wish to highlight that any scenario can be discussed but its goal should be the emancipation from the gangster-government – resignation of Serzh Sargsyan and his team. We demand not only Sargsyan’s resignation but also his whole team and the dissolution of the National Assembly and the government. You have witnessed that during the dialog ANC has brought up the demand of resignation of the current National Assembly, the government and the President. And we have also brought up our reasons for that.
– Around the same table they bring up their own reasons, according to which there is no need for snap elections.
– But the head of the Congress delegation Levon Zurabyan, who was present at the submission of the governmental document, reiterates that the document justifies the conduct of snap parliamentary and presidential elections. The government should report to itself that if it’s going to apply its same tricks then the Egyptian option is going to be inevitable for Armenia.
– You have brought up the example of the Egyptian scenario but there are also opinions that ANC with its actions has precluded the precedent of the Arabic revolutions in Armenia. Especially this year ANC has restrained the people’s demand for radical change and revolution.
– If the congress is pressing down the people’s wish, than at which rally this wish may come up and become a political factor? Let’s imagine that the congress is pressing down the people’s wish. Why don’t the political giants you know use that opportunity? The fact is that the congress does not press down people’s wish, in addition, it is the only institution that demonstrates the wish of people and makes the authorities to count with it. It is due to this point that you have the opportunity to talk to me in free conditions now. The fact that I am in freedom is a result of people’s struggle and if the political prisoners are free, the struggle of people will be even more in order to have better achievements.
– Several months ago member of ANC and former prime minister Hrant Bagratyan announced that the dialogue will lead to deadlock. Don’t you think that it is in crisis already?
– The dialogue will lead the government to deadlock as it shows that they do not understand the language of dialogue.
– Based on the current situation do you think that there may be elections in the fall?
– There will be snap elections. But many people ask what they are going to do if there are no elections. My answer is that snap elections are not a purpose but means for having legitimate authorities in the country. We will struggle till the end.
– For your information, this year Hrant Bagratyan announced that during the year the ANC has missed several opportunities of replacing the authorities. Do you agree with that opinion?
– The existence and activity of the ANC is itself an opportunity of replacing this government. The ANC always has an opportunity to make a revolution.
– Why does not it do that revolution?
– Who said that we don’t do it? Change of government is not an event but process, and this process is going well. Currently Armenia is in the process of replacing the government and this process is approaching to its logical finish.