– How do you comment on regular conflict among the governing coalition? In your opinion will the coalition model be preserved till the parliamentary elections, or not?
– Nowadays it is not at all interesting whether it will be preserved or not, as the elections are scheduled after a month only. The Parliament which is completing its liabilities has got only one mission, i.e. budget approval by the end of the year. As for internal relationships among coalition, or better to say PA-RPA ones, they are in their shape in each and every aspect. First of all the coalition government is not a wedlock, hence its splitting will not be extraordinary. Right the opposite, very often the break of coalition terms denotes of proper inter-partisan relationships and available competition. Being determined to reconsider coalition terms based on insuperable hindrance because of different approaches towards any of principal issues, will only cause a matter of respect. Unfortunately, we are lacking that phenomenon in Armenia, and many people vote for “nonsense” only in the sake of coalition relationships. Moreover, it should be noted that silent rebellions of Prosperous Armenia are logical. Usually coalition proportions are equal to the ratio of votes in parliament, where as it can be well noticed that the latter is evidently breached in prejudice of Prosperous Armenia. Of course today its further reconsideration is aimless anymore, although any form of rebel may serve as a tool for a new coalition government formation after the upcoming elections. Moreover, Prosperous Armenia may increase its potential by acting separate from almost superior political power.
– When Vladimir Putin, the Russian PM was already known to be nominated to the coming presidential elections in RF, the talks of RA second president Robert Kocharyan’s possible return to active politics became more active in Armenia. Can the RF scenario be repeated in Armenia as well? And in general, what is your opinion about Kocharyan’s further return?
– Unfortunately, political life in Armenia is very often limited by such simple talks. Evidently, Armenia and Russia are of enormous difference from each other. I don’t mean only the dimensions and material opportunities. Russia has always been a huge empire having a crucial role in world history during the last two centuries, and despite its inevitable fragility after the Soviet collapse, it is still one of the basic opponents of the American single- polar world. Even more, Russia passed a way of unique civilization, and always had a special administrative system. Hence, imitating Russia recalls a ridiculous caricature, and unfortunately not once we had such experience in Armenia, and still be having. The society having an impotent political system is in dramatic status unless it is unable doing anything but faking the others. As for concrete steps, the replacement case occurred after the last presidential elections and that another case is anticipated next year speaks of absolutely different situation in Armenia. Having the second place in state administrative system (first- in some extend) after leaving the presidential post is a very important feature. About his possible return of second president of Armenia the president himself has given a sufficient answer, and it would be improper to add anything else. Leaving aside the personal sympathy and antipathy, I believe that any sober-minded person will state, that period of 1998-2007 was positively different from both preceding and following years. Certainly, there were slips and mistakes in those years, but the differences will be much evident when comparing the prices, purchasing power and the living standards of our citizens, volumes of migration, etc. In the same time it should be noted also that in order to overcome the present difficult situation we need completely new projects, knowledge and steps.
– There are rumors that the political forces and leaders are determining whose team to join – the former or the incumbent presidents. Can we say that you by deflecting from the RPA you have excluded the possibility of supporting the team? Is it possible that you might endorse Kocharyan’s team?
– It’s true that we can notice that a fuss has started. There is a race to appear in this or other lists. Moreover, many people forget that not too far in the past they were cursing the key players of the current government and now are trying to act like close friends and loyalists. Others are openly offering themselves to those key players, who have a chance to have success during the upcoming national elections. Of course, this is the result of the depraved multi-party system of Armenia. It seems that the political parties don’t care much about the situation of the country. However, the situation is presently critical. People live much worse. Ignorance and deception have become wide-spread. The moral-psychological slump may cause disastrous consequences. Migration has also reached a threatening level. Only one value works for all the questions – money and the main principle is trade. No hope is left for the country, which has accumulated a doubled debt to foreign structures and countries. This is even more highlighted in light of the fact that there is not visible and realistic plan of overcoming these challenges. Neither is there a political team capable of overcoming the current difficult situation. Regardless of the personal features, experience and knowledge of individuals, politics is a teamwork and there is a point to participate in it if there are necessary conditions for that – team of supporters, general principles and values. In this case, it would be possible to develop and evolve a plan of drastically changing and improving the situation. These are the conditions that I need for the continuation of my activity in the parliament.
– What is your opinion about the recent foreign policy developments? In particular, I mean the visit of Serzh Sargsyan to the U.S. and France, the visit of the French President Nicolas Narkozy to Armenia. And there are rumors that after the French President’s visit Armenia may change its foreign policy course.
– In order to change something we should first have it. What is the current foreign policy course of Armenia? Visits don’t mean anything. The visits become valuable when there are results, which are supposed to appear in between the time of visits. If we leave aside the granting of mutual presents and awards, words of encouragement and thankfulness and the pre-election promises we will have nothing else left. Perhaps, only Rodin’s sculpture symbolically erected in the French square as what’s left from the visit. In order to justify what I said let’s try to formulate the “results” of the political course. Regretfully no essential change was registered. And the failures are visible in all directions. I think in the near future it will be possible to speak in more detail about the foreign policy.