– As you are escorting Levon Ter-Petrosyan can you tell us what the goal his marz visits are besides meeting with the ANM members? In particular Ter-Petrosyan doesn’t hold meetings with people. Strangely enough it happens in the Dashnaktsutyun party style – closed and covert.
– These are not Dashnak style meetings. We just meet our supporters. No secret decision is made during those meetings. These are simple pre-election meetings with the population and ANM supporters. I think this stage will be followed by more thorough and narrow meetings. These are very simple meetings once again and don’t imply and elements of secrecy. We are surveying the demand, the overall electoral mood of people. In February we are going to have a dilemma – either choose the European integration, predictable policies or deflect from the true way and get even more penetrated in the criminal way. It’s a fact that we reached a level, where Armenia is isolated and it doesn’t have any strategic partners. Plus the external image of the country reaches the zero level because the RA is not a profitable country neither in regional projects nor with its economic credentials. The criminal acts have become part of the state policy. The incidents in Gyumri and Vanadzor show that the government is involved in the criminal and not the contrary. This means that our people must make a choice around those two dilemmas.
– Ter-Petrosyan has visited almost all the marzes. Since he signifies those marz meetings so much in order to be oriented whether he’s going to run for presidency or not has he made any decision yet?
– The first president will make his final decision based on the gradual increase of his demand among people. This means that if the demand matches with tendencies and intentions of the people he will probably run and have a great shot of victory. This question shouldn’t be discussed in the context of Ter-Petrosyan’s nomination or denomination. The question is where Armenia is going.
– How can the society connect its future with a person, from whom they heard the last word when he was reading his resignation text?
– This silence is only for masses of people, television or press. In fact he was pretty active in politics.
– I mean the people, who should form their opinion.
– In this regard you are right. The model of the development of the country, which Levon Ter-Petrosyan is offering, is not news for anybody. This means that his platform is going to be the most trustworthy, predictable and clearest because it is going to be consisted of policies offering liberal economy, fee civil society model, etc. Perhaps the implementers and performers of the platform may be new or new methods may be applied but the core is going to stay the same.
– Today the oppositional parties, such as the National Unity, PPA have not participated in your marz meetings. Does this mean they are not clear yet with their plans?
– Wait awhile.
– Will they unite or not?
– It’s desirable as our movement is going to be an act to maintain the independence of Armenia. I think the contest is going to be around higher values. These are going to be the retrieval of the years, which we have lost during the period of the past several years. And in this background we will have to work with all the opponent parties because the goal is so much higher than just the among-party quarrels.
– Are you going to work with the Dashnaktsutyun as well?
– I don’t mean the governmental parties because the loss of our independence was the fault of the incumbent government.
– The Legal State was among them till recently. What is your approach going to be with them?
– They have had an oppositional image both during the government and opposition and now they have an opportunity to become a part of the large-scale oppositional project. They should make a decision. Any oppositional party, which will be willing to be in this project, must be tolerant and lenient. This issue cannot be solved through contradictions.
– If Ter-Petrosyan decided not to run what are going to do? Have you clarified your format under those circumstances yet?
– His denomination is defeat for all of us and a great loss of chance. I don’t even want to think about that? I together with our team members are doing our best to help Ter-Petrosyan to decide to run for presidency. That’s the only way to strengthen the sovereignty of our country. I am doing everything I can for this option and I am sure we will have what we are striving for because it will be shameful for our nation to pick the second way.
– This means in the event of the second way you are going to be offended from Ter-Petrosyan because his denomination ruined the first way.
– No need for offence. In that case only the independence of my county will be harmed and we will all be defeated.