Yesterday RA PM Serzh Sargsyan left without answering to journalists’ questions just after the discussion on budget issues organized by the NA commission on financial and budget issues. Instead, speaker Tigran Torosyan answered to journalists’ questions concerning the announcements of the first and the existing presidents of Armenia.
– Do you agree with Kocharyan’s estimation that the ANM is responsible for the collapse of the Armenian economy?
– The issue has two sides, which are the objective and subjective processes. I believe the president’s estimation concerned the subjective processes.
– Kocharyan was the latest prime minister of the ANM’s tenure since the ARP was in the same bloc with the ANM till 1998, which was the “Republic” bloc. Does it mean that the ARP shall share responsibility for it too?
– There is a very strange thing; when people are speaking about the period after 1999, i.e. when the ARP had majority, no one speaks about the other parties being in the same coalition with it. The ARP had just several deputies before 1998, who were included in the list of “Republic” bloc. Why do you speak about the ARP only? It is very strange.
– The president reminded us about it and we remembered about the ARP.
– I am glad that you always remember about the ARP. However, I think that the issue should be treated in consideration of the fact that the ARP had a small share in the parliamentary majority and did not have any representatives in the executive power.
– Robert Kocharyan said that who has forgotten about the ANM’s tenure period, they will remind them. Do you have anything to remind the ANM?
– I would advise you to ask questions concerning the ideas spoken by different people directly from them. It is very strange and it seems that there is lack of coverage in the press and journalists ask for explanations of statements from other people than those who made such statements. It is better to ask direct questions to people than to ask about the statements of other people.
– Was the big rally of the opposition, which took place on Friday, unexpected for you?
– I think a lot had been done to gather people there. I don’t think the expectations were justified.
– Will there be a color revolution in Armenia?
– I think there will not be a color revolution in Armenia since our people see that there is no good in color revolutions.
– The representatives of ARP have been escaping from any predictions whether there would be any change of their pre-election tactics or not and were waiting for Ter-Petrosyan’s announcement about his nomination. He has already announced about his intention to run. Has the ARP defined its future strategic steps?
– Certainly we have defined our tactics and will discover it on November 10.
– Will there be drastic changes?
– Absolutely no. I don’t think it is logical that the most powerful political force in Armenia may change its tactics basing on the fact whether separate candidates are running or no.
– Have you talked to Serzh Sargsyan about his American visit? How do you estimate it?
– Yes we have spoken. Serzh Sargsyan highly estimates his visit. I think you will have an opportunity to get detailed information concerning this visit directly from the prime minister. It was a very good and effective visit.
– Do you think that the main competitor of your candidate is Levon Ter-Petrosyan?
– I think that such estimations concerning candidates are given not by politicians, but by the society through their votes.
– Politicians do as well.
– Yes, but it is better not to take the society’s monopoly from it. Anyway, I think it is the society’s monopoly.
P.S. Yesterday a delegation led by NA speaker Tigran Torosyan left for Saint Petersburg to take part in the 29th session of the CIS inter-parliamentary congress. The delegation includes Hermine Naghdalyan, member of the parliamentary commission on economic issues, Michael Manukyan and Vardan Khachatryan, members of the national security and inner affairs standing commission.