– Can we assume that the Heritage-ANC cooperate is hence impossible based on the facts that during the hungers strike of Raffi Hovhannisian on March 17 rally Levon Ter-Petrosyan didn’t greet Hovhannisian?
– I wouldn’t formulate it that way. But during the March 17 rally it was apparently emphasized by the ANC that they don’t see Heritage as their ally and vice versa we are considered their opponent.
– There are 18 political parties within the ANC. Is Heritage strong enough to compete with the ANC on its own?
– I don’t know how you understand the presence of 18 parties in the Congress but I can mention that currently there are persons in the political field, who have a heavier weight than all these 18 parties.
– Several days ago you have announced that in the near future certain politicians will start to cooperate with the ANC by conducing to the formation of a new political situation. What did you mean?
– This union is not meant against anyone. The participants of the meeting merely expressed their concerns about the current situation created in the country. They tried to look for ways to overcome the situation. I don’t understand why this kind of noise is made around the mentioned meeting.
– Opinions were heard that you were going to form a new political structure.
– We could have discussed any issue and could make any kind of decision. We don’t have the need to ask for anybody’s permission. There were certain opinions expressed but the meeting by itself didn’t have the objective to establish any new unions or coalitions.
– Could you tell us more concretely what questions you have discussed?
– Indeed we mostly focused on the political hunger strike of Raffi Hovhannisian and the situation created in the country. All the attendees of the meeting assessed the situation is bad and unfavorable. And so each of them was bringing up their approach and understanding of overcoming the situation. They were concerned that the Armenian opposition cannot unite.
– There are also opinions about the hunger strike of Raffi Hovhannisian, according to which he is not quite sincere and that he’s playing a political “game.”
– There is absolutely no game here. This is a political strike with a serious moral basis and it’s very visible. Indeed they say politics got certain things with lack of morality but it doesn’t mean that moral people cannot be in politics.
– How do you assess the fact that Heritage fails to cooperate with ANC but there are certain contacts and collaboration with certain members of ANC?
– The concern created around the current situation doesn’t have anything in common with the member parties of ANC and Heritage. The concern is very general. We should think that if people from different teams greet each other and express common concerns it means that they are planning conspiracy. I have seen more serious coalitions in 1995 when approximately 75 parties endorsed the ANM. There was the Republic bloc. They make untrue statements that the whole political field is united but in 1998 the whole bloc become Yerkrapah members overnight and became the main opponent to that movement. Therefore I don’t find it right to use all these political bargains to gain credits. Some say we have 15 other 75 parties, etc. I view the internal political developments more realistic. Today there is the Heritage, which is a serious political factor. There is Raffi Hovhannisian, who is a decorated activist of the opposition. He took a step and regardless of what others would say it created certain interest and activism. That step should be taken into account and it’s wrong to slam it and hit below the waste. And when this is done jointly with the government and opposition it becomes very dangerous and gives lots of grounds to be worried about. But I think this will go away because the opposition field is not the property of anyone. We should have enough wisdom to understand that the only way of overcoming the current abstruse situation is the unification of the opposition.
– If you signify this unification so much why doesn’t the Heritage take the first step in that direction?
– On March 1, 2008 Heritage was with the people. The Heritage faction has always used it potential to raise the issue of political prisoners within the European structures. I think this is a clear evidence of cooperation. Currently when the political prisoners are being released it would be unbelievable not to notice the efforts of the Heritage and specifically Zaruhi Postanjyan in that process. What was possible to be done was done. We have cooperated whenever there was the need. We went to participate in the March 1 rally but unfortunately people didn’t notice that. They said that they hadn’t noticed Hovhannisian’s entrance to the rally despite the fact that people had been applauding him for 15 minutes non-stop. I don’t want to go too deep in that because everything is visible without explanation. We should only be able to see and believe in what we are seeing.
– But ANC has already held the third mighty rally this year. Don’t you find it serious? Could Heritage gather that many people?
– We don’t see the necessity of rallies now. If we see that we will do it by all means.
– Was there more necessity for a hunger strike?
– Every political force itself decides what’s important and necessary at that moment. That is a matter of a political taste.
– At any rate, what influence did the hunger strike have on the political life of Armenia?
– With this step Raffi Hovhannisian proved that it is possible to take a step without lofty formulations, which can have a serious impact on political developments. And if you pay attention you will see that Hovhannisian doesn’t give a relevant response or reaction to the brought up criticism. We don’t think that our number one opponent is ANC and that we have to struggle against it. Too bad they consider us a very principled opponent to them. I don’t think it’s right.
– When speaking of the hunger strike you are always mentioning its moral aspect but hasn’t the Heritage leader brought up 15 demands?
– It’s not merely moral. I have said that this is a political action accompanied by a moral ground. But only the moral aspect was solved because the 15 demands were not responded to by the government. There was no demand. It was actually an expectation and it was a call off vigilance to the society that the country is in a bad condition. And that the situation can be resolved only by joint efforts.
– So now that he stopped the hunger strike could you please tell us what the goal of that was?
– The goal was to activate the society so it would become more willing to take care of the fate of the country and their rights.
– Did you reach that goal?
– I wouldn’t say so but a serious alert call was heard from the people. During these days about 20 thousand people visited our headquarters and expressed their moral and political support. This already tells something. But it would be too unrealistic to assume that this step has totally changed the situation and the people have become more willing to fight for their rights. But this hunger strike received certain reaction within the society. I am the witness of that.