Epress.am News from Armenia
Armenia has found itself in a very interesting period — regardless of whether the elections will be pre-term or not, said Heritage Party leader Raffi Hovannisian, speaking to journalists in Yerevan today.
“Though the year hasn’t yet ended and it’s early to make assessments, nevertheless, I will say that we had a year full of defeats and missed opportunities. Armenia is on the verge of great changes and the coming year gives us another opportunity to bring our country in line with its constitution and make it a legal, democratic, social and sovereign state. It pains me greatly that for a country that bears the ‘rule of law’ standard that at least constitutionally this law is applied piecemeal. The law must apply to everyone — in the first place, beginning from the president, [state] officials, prime minister, MPs, and the neighbors, family members and relatives of opposition representatives,” he said.
The opposition party leader expressed hope that the political period, which will bring the return of power to the people, will arrive on the heels of the 20th anniversary of Armenia’s independence.
“This isn’t a mere pre-election aspiration, but a necessity for our country. We have to stand above partisan approaches, everyone has to see the solution outside of themselves. We have to fight not with separate flags, but unite and work under one flag. We have to bring our people out of the current fatalistic, alienating situation and make them participants in the coming processes,” he said.
Hovhannisian considered dangerous the various speeches and promises, which are proclaimed from different European platforms.
“These promises, that we’re ready to engage in dialogue, to discuss, to provide solutions to getting out of this situation — these are merely phrases, which are reproduced in Brussels [the primary seat of the European Union], but are not applied in our own country,” he said.
The Heritage Party leader called on all rational-thinking parties to unite under one banner. In his opinion, government from top to bottom has to be changed.
Asked about the possible HAK (Armenian National Congress) and BHK (Prosperous Armenia) coalition, Hovannisian said:
“At this time, this is a little bit of a fanatic phenomenon. They, who in the last few years directed labels at each other… I can say nothing about their sitting around the same table and engaging in dialogue,” he said.
Nevertheless, the opposition leader added, he would welcome this collaboration if it becomes a reality, at the same time noting that he has no grounds to believe that BHK will leave the ruling coalition.
According to Hovannisian, it’s more likely that BHK will run in the elections on a HHK (Republican Party of Armenia) united list than collaborate with HAK.