What Sargsyan’s Government and Ter-Petrossian’s Opposition Understood

There is no agreement or deal between the ruling authorities and the opposition, said political analyst and blogger Suren Surenyants, speaking to journalists today.

“I don’t agree with that view. That’s a very superficial analysis. At this time there’s just a harmony in the actions of the opposition and the authorities,” he said, adding, however, that a change has taken place in the positions of both the opposition and authorities.

“There’s been a certain change in [the Armenian] political arena. The signal for changes can be assumed to be [Armenian President] Serzh Sargsyan’s speech in Tsaghkadzor. At least in the last 10 years of Armenia’s history, I don’t remember Armenia’s president display such a tolerant attitude while speaking about the opposition. Of course, this doesn’t mean that the authorities’ quality has changed. This speaks to the existence of a certain theoretical trend. It must be said that the opposition in its last rally likewise clearly changed its emphasis. In any case, in the opposition’s main actor [Armenian National Congress (HAK) leader Levon] Ter-Petrossian’s Mar. 17 speeches, the idea of snap elections was essentially pushed to Plan B,” he said, adding that the HAK leader clearly made it known that the Armenian National Congress doesn’t currently wish to put the authorities in a deadlock.

In Surenyants’ opinion, a tactical situation has been created where the opposition’s and the authorities’ interests match and if this leads to dialogue, it would be very good.

Beginning a dialogue, according to the analyst, depends first on the authorities, and if political prisoners are released, then talks between the authorities and the opposition could be held at the highest level.

“I suppose that in the coming days, until the next HAK rally, there will be certain clarifications on this issue. We have to realize something, that Serzh Sargsyan’s government clearly understood that Levon Ter-Petrossian’s opposition won’t swallow [i.e. retreat], [that he] cannot neutralize [the HAK] factor in the upcoming elections. Levon Ter-Petrossian’s team, in turn, understood that the likelihood of snap elections is almost excluded,” he said.