10 days after the May 2 statement of the first President of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan made during the second congress of the pan-Armenian movement former President of RA Robert Kocharyan gave a “free vocabulary” interview.
Let us remember that in his speech Ter-Petrosyan thoroughly analyzed the events of March 1 and afterward stated that the main culprit of the tragedy is Robert Kocharyan. “The mutual analysis of the facts shows that on March 1 it was not a collision between the police and the protestors but a planned manslaughter on part of the government, the main responsibility of which lays on Robert Kocharyan,” stated Levon Ter-Petrosyan. As a response in his interview Robert Kocharyan in the beginning doesn’t directly blame Levon Ter-Petrosyan. He formulates his thoughts by asking questions. “Who is calling the current government a bandit-state and asks to destroy the current system? Who proclaimed two weeks before elections that he won the presidential race? Who was making the servicemen and policemen break their pledge? Who was blackmailing the international structures and observers for their positive conclusions?” After asking these questions Kocharyan said, “Ter-Petrosyan and the ANM just needed blood. That is what they chose for their political race after they realized that they were going to lose. By the way they are using the blood of others.” The forces, which support Ter-Petrosyan are sure that in Armenia no one has doubt that the whole responsibility of the blood lays on Robert Kocharyan. “I don’t think that the blood shed in April 2004 and on the inauguration day of Kocharyan (on April 9, 2003 – A.A.) is Levon Ter-Petrosyan. In the same manner I don’t think that the blood shed on October 27 is the fault of Levon Ter-Petrosyan. I am sure that Ter-Petrosyan has never had any connection with these events and on the contrary he was mainly condemning such acts. I am sorry that Kocharyan’s mental level equals to street level,” the leader of the Republic Party Aram Z. Sargsyan comments on the statements of Kocharyan. And the press secretary of the PPA Ruzan Khachatryan is sure that both the governmental and oppositional forces are responsible for the bloodshed and tragedy of March 1. “First I think that no one has been purified from the events, which continue even now. By saying that I mean Serzh Sargsyan, Robert Kocharyan and all the members of the governmental coalition. They all have their share of guilt. Number one culprit of the bloodshed is Robert Kocharyan because he was the incumbent president at the time. And as he was the chief commander only he could give an order to shoot people. Post-election protests take place in many countries but the police doesn’t open fire on them. It is team responsibility meanwhile,” says Khachatryan. The governmental forces of course have logically opposite opinion. And they claim that the events of March 1 must be examined not on the political platform but legal. In the opinion of the RPA faction member Armen Ashotyan blaming the incumbent government of the past deeds means not to learn anything from the past. “At least in the case of March 1 the opposition and government have a similar approach. They both wish an independent investigation, recovery of the society’s trust and fair court trial. The inner political active life causes much discontent in the society. Therefore, it is very important to resolve the situation because otherwise we may also on our part blame the radical opposition for the tension in the society,” says Ashotyan. Among the estimations of Ter-Petrosyan the dominant component related to the reactions of Kocharyan regarding the March 1 events. When speaking of the culprits of the tragic events he didn’t mention the name of Serzh Sargsyan. In his speech Ter-Petrosyan said the following, “The amount of his fault (S. Sargsyan – A.A.) depends on how Sargsyan will react and treat about the independent functioning of the investigation group of March 1 events. Sargsyan doesn’t have any other way to save himself from accusations but to let the investigative group independently monitor the events of March 1 and punish the culprits…” As a result of almost daily comments of the post-electoral developments the impression was that Kocharyan was trying to take the whole guilt of the tragic events on him. By doing that he was trying to keep his successor “pure.” After the speech of Ter-Petrosyan at the congress it was expected that Sargsyan would respond to the accusations and protect his predecessor. However, the incumbent President hasn’t said anything about that so far. How do the opposition and governmental politicians comment on this fact? “I have seen what Serzh Sargsyan has done for President Kocharyan in 1998 and 2003. He made Kocharyan a President by applying various violent methods. In my opinion Kocharyan still owes Sargsyan. I think that the behavior of these two individuals is not relevant for politicians,” says Aram Z. Sargsyan. And the RPA member Ashotyan thinks that each president has a legal and political responsibility only during the term of his office. According to him a part of the estimations of Ter-Petrosyan imply offensive statements addressed to Robert Kocharyan. That is the reason why Kocharyan decided to personally respond to those. “It is quite understandable that before passing his functions to his successor President Robert Kocharyan should have implemented his functions and duties as a president. Serzh Sargsyan is responsible for the period he runs the office and nothing more. But in general I’d like to remind that all the members of Sargsyan’s campaign have responded the accusations of the opposition. I have done so too,” Ashotyan said. “I don’t think that Sargsyan is silent. He doesn’t have to make statements. The actions speak for themselves. And at present we see that cases of arrest continue, fake criminal cases are launched. I don’t think it is silence. Perhaps it is about the difference of individuals because Kocharyan may be more active and Sargsyan more passive. It is also possible that Sargsyan is giving responses through his clients. That way he is trying to confuse the society,” says Khachatryan.