– Recently, rumors were flying around that the “Prosperous Armenia” (hereinafter PA) was going to organize a board meeting, which would lead to serious changes, but that was not the case. Are you going to organize a board meeting?
– The only person who can say that is me. I have not made such an announcement. Now I can say that we will organize a board meeting in autumn. We are not in a hurry. People make assumptions sitting at home, but we want to prove everything through our actions. The PA is a newly established party and its staff is new too, that is why we’re not rushing and we will organize a board meeting in the fall. We have to find out some things and then confirm our staff members because we do not need people who want to join our party just to be protected. We are working on checking up on what they are doing, their mentality. We are also interested in how people treat each other, what they have done before joining our party. This is not a small task and cannot end soon. It takes a lot of effort and we are going to do that. The most important thing for us is to form our party so that it will be different from the others. If it looks like the rest, there is no need to put that much effort. Now people see that and trust us, and we will do our best to prove ourselves. In other words, only I can make such announcements, and now I say that we will organize a board meeting only in the fall when we will have a confirmed staff Only seldom people can become board members of our party.
– What are the prerequisites for joining your party?
– Our doors are open for everyone. The people who the citizens trust and have a high reputation will be given responsible jobs. Once someone in Goris said that they believed in Gagik Tsarukyan, but there were other members in the party as well, who disappointed them. I called them and told them that Tsarukyan did not play a key role, the only one that could nominate candidates were people, and that they were doing that work for themselves and their children. How can Tsarukyan know what is happening in that remote city? People come to us and say that they have a high reputation, good skills and can work well. We give them resources and everything they need and say go and build anything you want and. We often see that they don’t have such skills as they say. Here is where we need people; people should nominate their candidates because they see everything better. The people are with us and we want to protect our reputation, we don’t want to lose all that we have built and created during these many years. We must improve all that we have. I want to do it all in my homeland Armenia.
– There are rumors claiming that the PA is not implementing an active policy right now because it still has not received permission from the current authorities. What can you say about this?
– If we have over 300 offices, over 200.000 members, over 2.000 active board members and we are working on increasing the staff, it means that we are working.
– What can you say about the rumors that the PA was founded in order to counterbalance the Republican party and not let them have an absolute majority in the parliament?
– People ask why Tsarukyan needs to be involved in politics. I would like to let everyone know what my goal is. We’re all on the same boat: businessmen, journalists, officials and everyone else. Moreover, we all wonder whether our ship will sink or will move towards a bright future. It doesn’t depend on who lives where-in good rooms of the ship or somewhere else. We all worry about our future. My party is pro-government and I want to stabilize the state and take care of our trip in the ship. Our country is currently developing and we should take care of it now. Everything will go smoothly afterwards.
– If you are pro-government and your goal is to create stability in our state, why don’t you join any of the current pro-government parties, which assure that they want to create stability too?
– Which party should I join?
– One of the coalitional parties.
– The coalition is so huge! I don’t want to do the same thing again, we will fight alone. If there are parties that will approve our ideology and principles, we will work with them. The most important thing is to find solutions. Our purpose is to solve problems. Those who can solve problems may join us.
– Don’t you think there are pro-government parties that have solved problems for the people?
– There are, but there are obstacles everywhere. The time will come, some of them will improve, and then we will decide what to do. Alternatively, we will collaborate after we get to the parliament. We are not part of the opposition and are ready to collaborate with anyone that is actually doing something. We don’t say that their projects are bad and they don’t do much work, but we are interested in their staff, how they work and whether they solve problems for the people or not.
– Is it possible for you to make an alliance with other parties before the elections?
– I want to do something good with the help of this party. I lived my life in this country, I succeeded here, my children are going to live here too, I am a part of this country. I will use all that I have to help Armenia progress and develop. My doors are open for everyone who wants to help solve the issues.
– Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan told “168 Hours” that you have agreed not to prevent the other from doing his job. Are you going to keep your word or will you do whatever you think is best before elections?
– If we didn’t respect each other we wouldn’t agree on such things. Yes, we have talked about this and have never “stolen members” from each other. This will not be good on our part and I don’t think that will happen anytime soon.
– Many people are surprised to see that the head of Kotayk Marz (region) regional management board joined the Republican party, but not your party. Why did he do that?
– There isn’t anything surprising about that. He is accountable to the government and it is normal that he thought it better to join the pro-government party. Why shouldn’t he do so?
– You’re from the Kotayk region and you have a very high reputation there.
– What does my reputation mean for head of the regional management board? He is respected and he thought it better to do so. How can, for instance, my board director join some other party? That is a team and it is a normal process.
– Do you mean that you are not to blame for this?
– It will be seen after opening the ballot boxes after the elections.
– Whom will you nominate for prime minister if the PA party has an absolute majority after the parliamentary elections?
– I can’t say anything yet. It’s not our responsibility to give positions to people and we haven’t made such decisions. Our party will only give positions to the people who will work well and fulfill their responsibilities in a duly manner. As for the party, I will be the one responsible.
– Rumor has it that oligarchs were to blame for the violations committed during the 2003 parliamentary elections. You have your own party now and will do your best to collect as many votes as you can.
– If you are respected by people and they see your work, they will appreciate your work and will vote for you. If you stay with them in good and bad times and help them, they will help you too.
– International organizations say that it is very important to develop democracy in Armenia and they also refer to the legitimacy of the 2007 parliamentary elections. What are you going to do to develop democracy in Armenia?
– I will not let anyone think that even one vote for the PA is a vote for another party. People will make sure their vote goes for the right party in all precincts.
– What if the votes of other parties are considered as your votes?
– I don’t think I need that. You shouldn’t ask such a question. I think we will be able to even give a part of our votes to others. Why do we need that if we don’t intend on getting positions or get money and do our best to develop our state? We have never “stolen” votes from others; we are respected by the people and our votes are enough for us.
– There are rumors saying that you have promised founder of “Union For Armenia” party, Vahram Baghdasaryan to include him in your majority list if he includes their regional chapters in your party. Is it true?
– No.
– Since Viktor Dallakyan doesn’t give any concrete answers, I’d like to ask you one thing. What kind of relations does he have with PA?
– V. Dallakyan doesn’t have anything to do with my party. Many people wish to join us because we have a very good ideology. In other words, they should not spread such rumors because if he had relations with us we would let everyone know about that. Why do they make assumptions sitting at home? Why do they worry about this party so much? If there was such a thing, both Tsarukyan and Dallakyan would say that because they are brave enough to make such announcements. There is no such thing. As for the future, anything is possible.
– Rumor has it that since Tsarukyan has a lot of money, he wants to use his resources to recruit more oppositionists in his party.
– We haven’t done such things and are not going to either. It’s not about the money, but rather the people’s reputation and what they dos. People should first trust that party and then join, but should not join for money. If people are clever enough they should be happy to see a good ideology but not to come here “starving” with the hope that they will someday be rich. I am doing everything for the welfare of Armenia: the stronger our country is the stronger I am. It is not that good to be rich in a poor country. It is better to be rich in a rich country, and that’s my goal.
– You said that your goal is to create stability in our country. May the Republican party and PA counterbalance this stability during elections?
– Why do you only mention the Republican party? The more parties there are the stronger the competition is. I do not want to create a counterbalance in the state; we will not do such a thing. We want to do everything peacefully, everyone should do what he does.
– Would you found this party if you were sure that everything you have woule be secure after the next president comes to power?
– I have earned everything I have myself. I haven’t stolen from anyone or used the government’s resources. I have worked hard since 1998 and I haven’t stolen anything from anyone. At first, I founded small businesses, and then exported Armenian products to Russia. Than I worked and purchased factories, I developed them and made them stronger. I haven’t done anything wrong in order to worry that someday someone may come and take something from me. I don’t have such enemies and I think that people respect me. There are just some peopel who are jealous of me even when they are asleep. There are people who don’ worry about their own failures, but worry about Tsarukyan’s success. The more they worry about this, the more they fail and the more I succeed.