– When you and the rest of the political prisoners were in prison the leaders of the ANC were saying that their organizational core, including you, were in prison and that’s why their struggle was less powerful. Now most of the political prisoners are out of prison but the promised powerful struggle is not there.
– Politics is the art of the possible. You can do whatever is possible. But we are conducting major preparatory activities to withstand the incumbent government. When we are ready and it is not going to be too late we will come to power. There may be a slight disagreement among the political parties of the ANC in terms of timing. I think that the huge wave of the people’s movement won’t run too late. In his speech Levon Ter-Petrosyan said that the recession maybe over at any time and our activities maybe resumed.
– And perhaps before this time comes it will be too late to achieve a pro-Armenian solution in the Armenia-Turkey relations and the NKR conflict.
– Deep inside I am sure that the government will have to hear the voice of the people and the Armenians of the Diaspora. They will start to realize what they have done and what they are facing. They will realize what deserve the traitors and the ones, who sacrifice land. I have an inner hope that they will not put the country in more serious trails despite the fact the current government don’t have the chance of that.
– After being out of jail it seems that the political prisoners are slightly embarrassed and resented. Is there the impression that they don’t have the previous decisiveness?
– There is no such thing. It is true we were initially more seriously disposed but afterwards we realized that we need to be more seriously prepared for the process. The goal is not the movement but the importance of being in constant motion. Our goal is the change. I agree with Ter-Petrosyan that at this moment the ANC is not able to get rid of the government on its own. Either others should support the ANC or the ANC should get a newer launch.
– Do you mean the Heritage and the ARF? But during this period they got even more further from the ANC.
– I don’t only mean the political forces. I also mean non-governmental organizations, various social groups. We can’t rely on the Heritage because for the time being it is not playing for the sake of the people’s interests. These recent events showed that they are providing a part of the theatrical performance. They continue the same scenario as the Catholicos or the Dashnaks.
– In your opinion are these protest actions of the ARF agreed with the government?
– That is what it looks like in the current moment. It seems that they are all controlled by one center. They demand the resignation of Nalbandyan Edik.
– But couldn’t they demand the resignation of the president in the frames of the same scenario and it could have been a harmless demonstrative demand.
– Yes, if they have had enough courage it would have been so. At least it would look like they are moving in the same direction as Serzh. The Dashnaks have to conduct these demonstrations in order to blow some smoke in the eyes of the Diaspora Armenians and the western Dashnaks, who can never give up the Genocide issue for the sake of anything. This is a performance staged with consent of the president. The Armenian people need certain unionization. The Armenia-Turkey relations and the NKR conflict are complex challenges for the Armenian people. I can agree to any political setup for the sake of withstanding this challenge jointly. Why would anybody need the chair of the power if you are not able to resolve the issues of your country?
– In your opinion, through what direction does the government direct the Armenian-Turkish relations and the negotiations around the NKR conflict?
– I think that in order to fill the lack of the legitimacy the government will try to find support in the foreign world. Therefore they are making a mistake after a mistake in the foreign policy. Now it seems that the Armenian-Turkish relations are close to solution and Serzh Sargsyan should make a decision whether he should go in the direction of maintaining his chair at any cost or get sober and try to receive support inside the country or maybe through resignation or maybe at the cost of something else. I don’t know. At any rate he has to resolve the issues inside the country. Now he has problems with all the Armenians.
– If the situation is so bad why do the political, public forces and the intelligentsia consider it positive?
– The RA minister of foreign affairs met with the board of the academy of sciences and they have made a decision to support the policy of Sargsyan regarding the Turkey-Armenia relations. One of the board members has told me that they haven’t realized what’s happened. They were surprised why it happened that way if they were all against. It means that their opinion is totally different but a drastically different opinion was delivered to the society. In fact, there the overwhelming majority, including the chairman of the academy is against this process. I am only surprised how intimidated these people are. They are scared to express their opinions. It is a very serious national issue to assume that they are scared to express their views around this serious issue. I am sure that Turkey needs it hundred times more to open the border than us. But Turkey doesn’t give anything for the opening of the border but instead it receives all the advantages. In addition to this there are the daily statements of the Foreign Affairs Minister of Turkey Davudoghli and Prime Minister Erdogan, according to which the NKR conflict must be resolved before opening the border.
– In this case the passive behavior of the opposition and specifically the ANC is quite strange. If Serzh Sargsan has created such a bad situation and is ready to give up the NKR and the genocide, why don’t you oppose his policy? Why don’t you introduce the NKR people to the actual situation?
– There is no passiveness as such. We participate in all the discussions and express our
opinions on hat should be done. I think that Sargsyan knows our opinion. I have been to the NKR; met with people and spoke about this issue. I am shocked about the silence of the NKR. Shall they only make a sound when the catastrophe knocks on their doors? Of course, we are trying but it’s so much harder to organize meetings with the people over there than in Armenia. There the regime is more authoritarian.
– Do you believe in the viewpoint that the Armenia-turkey relations and the NKR conflict contain fully anti-Armenian solutions? Do you think that this will cause the resignation of Serzh Sargsyan?
– The resignation will give certain results. But I don’t know if he will have so much courage to do so for the people. I’ll consider his resignation courageous and on behalf of his nation.