Ter-Petrosian Praises Tsarukian Over Armenian Coalition ‘Rift’

TER-PETROSIAN PRAISES TSARUKIAN OVER ARMENIAN COALITION ‘RIFT’
Irina Hovhannisyan

12.04.2012

Armenia – Opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosian (C) at a campaign
rally in Kotayk province, 12 Apr 2012.

Opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosian praised the Prosperous Armenia
Party (BHK) on Thursday, saying that it has caused a major rift within
the country’s political leadership which will have “very important”
implications for next month’s parliamentary elections.

“The ruling coalition, which was monolithic and wielded the whole
power until recently, is today split. The Prosperous Armenia Party is
seeking independence and has taken serious steps in that direction,”
Ter-Petrosian said as he campaigned in the central Kotayk region,
BHK leader Gagik Tsarukian’s stronghold.

The top leader of the opposition Armenian National Congress (HAK)
pointed to the BHK’s tacit support for opposition calls for a
major electoral reform as well as its pledge to join forces with the
country’s three main opposition groups in countering possible attempts
to rig the May 6 vote.

“These are very important steps which show that the Prosperous Armenia
Party has ceased to be an appendage to [President] Serzh Sarkisian and
is seeking to become an independent political factor. And this will
play a very important role in the formation of the next parliament,”
Ter-Petrosian told a small crowd attending an HAK rally in the regional
town of Yeghvard.

Ter-Petrosian has repeatedly reached out to the BHK since Tsarukian
pointedly declined to reaffirm support for Sarkisian’s reelection
plans last September. He stated in November that his opposition
bloc’s cooperation with Tsarukian’s party “could radically change
the configuration of political forces” ahead of the parliamentary
elections.

Former Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian, a senior BHK member,
said late last month that the ruling coalition comprising the BHK,
Sarkisian’s Republican Party (HHK) and the Orinats Yerkir Party has
effectively ceased to exist.

However, Tsarukian seemed to disagree with that in an interview with
RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am) on Wednesday. The tycoon also
did not rule out the possibility of entering into a new power-sharing
deal with Sarkisian after the elections.

Addressing a larger crowd in the nearby town of Abovian later in
the day, Ter-Petrosian made clear that the HAK will avoid any verbal
attacks on the BHK as well as the rival opposition Zharangutyun and
Dashnaktsutyun parties during the election campaign. The HAK’s main
target will be Sarkisian’s HHK, he said, branding the ruling party
as a band of “thieves and crooks.”

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress