If Early Elections Take Place, Republican Party of Armenia will Win Again, Says MP

Dialogue today between the Armenian National Congress (HAK) and the authorities isn’t dialogue; it’s simply that HAK has decided to intensify its activities. Today basically is a dialogue between two political entities, political forces: on one side, the political force of the (ruling) coalition; on the the other side, the HAK political force, said head of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) parliamentary faction, HHK vice chair Galust Sahakyan at a press conference in Yerevan on Friday.

According to him, HAK is attempting to create the impression that there are two ruling powers in the country, which are in confrontation with each other, and that the authorities speaking with a HAK is a capitulation (an act of surrendering).

“Today, perhaps we can allow for the fact that HAK more so praises itself at its rallies; that is, as if ‘we came, we saw, we conquered.’ They perceive the consequence of this dialogue as follows: this allows them at their rallies to talk big — again hurling insults at [Armenian President Serzh] Sargsyan and the authorities. We have to tolerate these processes…,” he said.

Sahakyan said they clearly said at the negotiations that if HAK has put the issue of early elections on the agenda, they will discuss it, however, noting from the beginning that this is a meaningless discussion.

“Since a model has been created that each issue has to be discussed, we will discuss also that,” said the HHK vice chair.

Asked by Epress.am whether he considers the holding of pre-term elections possible as an outcome of the dialogue, he said that this is simply HAK representatives’ dream.

“Have you seen the Alpine Violet, that in its bliss dreams of greater things? Well now, each person sees one dream, but I’m not a dream interpreter. I don’t consider the holding of pre-term elections likely, no,” he said.

The MP, nevertheless, noted that early elections are most beneficial for the ruling party, since the Republican Party of Armenia has the greatest administrative, financial and human resources.

In any case, if a decision to hold pre-term elections is made, according to Sahakyan, it will be again the Republicans who remain in the political arena. HAK will hold rallies (as it currently does), the time for dialogue will come again and it will continue this way, he said.

“Pre-term [elections] is not favorable for the people, because the Republican [Party of Armenia] will again be in government, HAK will again hold rallies, again there will be plans for dialogue. But it will be favorable for the people, for the HHK to be [in power] because the people will vote for it,” he said.

Asked by Epress.am, if that is so then why don’t the authorities accelerate the process of holding pre-term elections, Sahakyan said it isn’t in the benefit of the state to do so.