Yesterday only a few number of MPs knew about the ideas spoken by first president Levon Ter-Petrosyan with young people on Saturday. They were more interested in whether all MPs had received CDs containing the speech of October 26, which had been sent to the parliament in closed envelopes. In a word, they were more interested in the CDs than what Ter-Petrosyan had said.
ARP faction secretary Samvel Nikoyan is one of those rare deputies, who have read the entire speech of Levon Ter-Petrosyan in newspapers. S. Nikoyan believes that the positive announcements on the part of Levon Ter-Petrosyan concerning Serzh Sargsyan were just a campaign trick. Namely, Ter-Petrosyan said concerning Serzh Sargsyan, who has worked in different high positions during Ter-Petrosyan’s office too, “He was a competent person, he had a good experience, and maybe more than we have, he has worked in the state system for a long time, he had organizational skills, thus the job he did was too small compared to his potential. We invited him to Armenia, trusted the Armenian army, and, let’s be honest, he has been a good minister, he has been a good minister in all positions he had – both in the army, security and police bodies. I don’t have any complaints concerning his work he did during those years. There are no improper persons. However, people have a wall of level of performing their potential. When they are down that wall they are excellent specialists, good professionals, excellent workers. However, the contradiction between a person and his potential is seen when they have more ambitions”.
S. Nikoyan assures that in the mentioned speech Ter-Petrosyan said many contradicting ideas, which make it clear what his real “purpose” is. “Levon Ter-Petrosyan does not have an alternative than saying what he said, i.e. the fact that during his office Serzh Sargsyan worked in different high rank positions and if he addresses critics to Sargsyan and his professionalism, potential and the work he has done, people will ask how he has trusted him those important positions for so many years,” assures Nikoyan. He believes that due to this reason Ter-Petrosyan cannot say bad things concerning Serzh Sargsyan. “besides that, the roles of Armenian politicians are not a secret for anyone and the society knows about Serzh Sargsyan’s contribution in building the state and forming the army. If Levon Ter-Petrosyan said the vice versa, everyone would understand that it is just a trick and fake announcement,” said Nikoyan. “In a word, in this case Ter-Petrosyan just wanted to show to the society that he is a politician, who speaks the truth so that he can build the future ideas and policy on that trust by people and present them as the truth,” assures Nikoyan. According to the ARP faction secretary, Ter-Petrosyan said those true and good words about Serzh Sargsyan only for the purpose of proving later that the highest wall that Serzh Sargsyan’s potential fit with was the minister’s position he has given.
“This means that at first he says the truth, namely he says that Serzh Sargsyan had better experience, organizational skills, and potential than they did, and in parallel with that he wants to develop his campaign trick. He wants to say that Sargsyan is good in those positions, which he has given him, and that he cannot be better after it. Such campaign trick that Ter-Petrosyan wants to use is called toady campaign. Such methods, i.e. speaking false ideas in parallel with true words is just nonsense since everyone understands what Ter-Petrosyan wants to do. Besides that, everyone understands that no one is born as a president, minister or prime minister. As Ter-Petrosyan says, every person reaches achievements due to his/her personal investments, hard work and skills. If Levon Ter-Petrosyan thinks that the mentioned persons have stayed the same during the past ten years, and they have not obtained more experience and skills, he is mistaken since a person cannot stay the same. People develop their skills during years as he has done since he was elected president. I think that he remembers Serzh Sargsyan only during his office, i.e. before 1998, which is the reason why his conclusions are limited with his point that Serzh Sargsyan is very professional, but cannot do more. However, since 1998 Serzh Sargsyan has obtained many new skills, he is not the same as he was in 1998. Thus a question originates, if Serzh Sargsyan was so trustable, professional and hard-working in Ter-Petrosyan’s office, and in consideration of the fact that during these years he has got much more skills, why can’t he become president now? This is the idea Ter-Petrosyan wanted to break by saying that Sargsyan is good, but not for presidency. Who said? What do they know about his skills and potential? Do you have any problems with his work as a prime minister? I think that you don’t. He is the same hard working and professional person. It means that Sargsyan will work as a president very well too,” concluded S. Nikoyan.
Naira Zohrabyan, member of the NA “Prosperous Armenia” faction, has talked to us about the mentioned estimations spoken by Ter-Petrosyan as he had read only that part. “I appreciate that Ter-Petrosyan is objective since he can objectively speak about his main competitor. He calls the real names of persons as they are notwithstanding how much time has passed. I know that recently he has said somewhere that Serzh Sargsyan has been one of his best ministers, which should be appreciated too. Such politicians who are able to give objective estimations concerning their political competitors are met rarely. I think that it was the edited text of his harsh critics during the rally of October 26, which, in fact, was accepted by the society with some exceptions. In these estimations he was higher than the personal critics and offended appearance”, said N. Zohrabyan, “As for the point that a good minister and one of the most experienced persons cannot be a good president, I don’t understand who can be a good president if such professional person, who has passed through such experienced school, cannot be a good president. It looks as the same as the recent critics covered by the opposition media concerning different politicians for saying that Levon Ter-Petrosyan is a very clever and experienced politician and for that purpose he will not run. It reminds me about this statement. If Serzh Sargsyan is the most experienced and the best, he should win by all means”.
The parliamentary powers, which are considered to be opposition, refused to speak about Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s ideas and statements. However, we don’t know why they refused to speak.