Heritage Party MP Explains What He Means by ‘Fake Oppositionists’

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s speech at the start of this year Heritage Party MP Armen Martirosyan considers to be an “opposition speech,” which, according to the MP, is evidence of an attempt to steal votes.

The obvious proof of this, said Martirosyan, is the licensing process for TV stations. This gives the deputy grounds to believe that the next round of elections will be rigged. He sees only two ways out of this situation: revolution or emigration. Referring to the speeches of “fake oppositionists,” Martirosyan said that 2011 is a campaign year and some have speeches that are more Catholic than the Pope and more oppositional than the oppositionists. Though he didn’t name any names, the Heritage Party member clarified what he meant:

“Those who supported Serzh Sargsyan in the 2008 presidential election, likewise stood by the ruling authorities’ side during the Armenia-Turkey [rapprochement] process, stood by their side on March 1 [2008] and backed the March 1 operations, then they are fake oppositionists.”

Martirosyan noted that the Heritage Party might cooperate broadly with the Armenian National Congress, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun), New Times Party, as well as other forces that raise democratic, national issues.

“Cooperation, whether we want it or not, naturally, will happen. I think, if not unification, then cooperation is necessary.  Any opposition force, no matter how much it says it’s the only one, it’s unique, it has to see objective reality: there are many other forces in the political arena which have no less an influence on the political field,” he said.