The first president of Armenia LevonTer-Petrosyan met with the representative of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun’s Bureau Hrant Margaryan and the representative of the Supreme Body Armen Rustamyan on Saturday. Ter-Petrosyan was accompanied by Aleksandr Arzumanyan, a former foreign minister and his longtime close associate. During yesterday’s press conference ARF member Spartak Seyranyan announced that during the meeting the parties agreed to fight on the basis of their political, program and ideological approaches. Seyranyan said that during the meeting the first President of Armenia mentioned that he was planning to run in the forthcoming presidential elections. It’s not excluded that Ter-Petrosyan in the close future will hold meetings with the Prosperous Armenian and Republican parties. Yesterday it was found out that the Legal State has received an offer to meet the first president.
The visit of Levon Ter-Petrosyan to “Simon Vratsyan” center on Saturday caused numerous comments and opinions. The meeting was surprising because dozens of ARF Dashnak activists were arrested and imprisoned in 1994 by murder and coup charges by Ter-Petrosyan’s decision.
After this meeting politicians stopped excluding anything. Let’s remind that ARF Bureau member Hrant Margaryan and the representative of the Supreme Body Armen Rustamyan Levon Ter-Petrosyan hosted the meeting. And Ter-Petrosyan was accompanied by former FM of Armenia, Alexandr Arzumanyan. According to the press release of the ARF Yerki Media TV participants of the talks, which lasted 40 minutes told that they focused on the political situation in Armenia and, in particular, the unfolding preparations for next year’s crucial presidential election. “We agreed, among other things, to stay within the bounds of a political, ideological struggle and not to descend to a lower level,” said Margaryan. They also stressed the need to create an “atmosphere of tolerance and solidarity in the country,” he said. As it’s known the meeting was initiated by Ter-Petrosyan. “It is important for the two parties that the pre-election debate be civilized and political in nature,” said Arzumanyan. In his words, the meeting was part of Ter-Petrosyan’s ongoing pre-election consultations with “important political forces.” “I think he should run so that the political landscape has a more natural structure and every person, every force has its right place there,” Margaryan said. He said Ter-Petrosyan told the Dashnaktsutyun leaders that “he is seriously intending to nominating his candidacy but has not yet made a final decision.” Margaryan also said Ter-Petrosyan’s possible presidential run would not lose the Dashnaktsutyun candidate any votes, arguing that the two political camps appeal to voters with diametrically opposite views on key issues facing Armenia. “His supporters won’t vote for us and our supporters won’t vote for him,” he said. Arzumanyan, meanwhile, insisted that Ter-Petrosyan’s return to active politics is not a forgone conclusion. “He is continuing to examine the political field and will make a decision after ending his consultations and weighing up the political situation,” he said. “The doors of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun are waiting ajar for the leaders of the Armenian National Movement party,” stated the deputy speaker of the National Assembly, the ARF Dashnaktsutyun Bureau member Vahan Hovhanisyan in commenting on the meeting of the ex-president of Armenia and the representatives of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun on the eve. Hovhanisyan said their discussion concerned the future and not the past. “No alliance is possible, but we may join efforts to tackle certain problems, such as a compliant presidential election, a civilized dialogue,” he said. And what’s the opinion of the RPA about Ter-Petrosyan’s sudden political meetings. As a response to this question the head of the NA Republican Faction Karen Karapetyan said, “These are normal political processes. Every political force decided its own tactics and strategy. I think its was one of their tactcail steps to meet ARF,” said Karapetyan. Yesterday Alexandr Arzumanyan has also spoken about this meeting by saying that the ANM considers ARF as a serious political force. He also added that the ARF presidential candidate may play a significant role during the election campaign. It’s not excluded that Ter-Petrosyan in the close future will hold meetings with other political forces. Yesterday it was found out that the Legal State has received an offer to meet the first president. According to our information Ter-Petrosyan is planning to meet the representatives of the Prosperous Armenian and Republican parties. It was found out that the Legal State has received an offer to meet the first president. Perhaps Ter-Petrosyan will meet the leadership of the Republican Party only in the end of all the meetings. According to the member of the ANM Board, Aram Manukyan they don’t exclude any meeting, which is connected with the bright future of Armenia. As of the ARF meeting Manukyan said, “The meeting took place by the initiative of Ter-Petrosyan. Two serious political forces have decided to meet to discuss the current complicated issues of Armenia around a single table and try to find solutions. The important thing isn’t what they have discussed but the whole culture of holding such dialogs. This is a new style of political communication. In my opinion Ter-Petrosyan’s initiative is important because at this stage we should base on the future of the country not the sympathy or antipathy of personal relations among politicians.” Yesterday we tried to check from the Prosperous Armenia faction MP Naira Zohrabyan what the party approach would be if such an initiative was taken by Ter-Petrosyan to meet the Prosperous Armenia leadership. “First of all our party hasn’t received any official offer to meet from the ANM. Of course if we receive such an offer we will discuss it within the party. And I think we will get to discuss it with our governmental coalition partner RPA because according to the memorandum we signed together we should cooperate around issues related to the upcoming presidential elections. Nevertheless the prosperous Armenia party doesn’t mind any kind of meeting in any format, which would relate to conducting the upcoming election in a free and fair manner,” said Zohrabyan. According to independent NA MP Victor Dallakyan Ter-Petrosyan’s meeting with the ARF members was a “usual political step.” Moreover, according to him this step will negatively affect the anti-Dashnak voters of the ANM. “The ones, who have advised to initiate that meeting perhaps have not seriously contemplated over its possible effects,” ensures Dallakyan.