Artur Vanetsyan: ‘We are facing a real threat of losing statehood and even annihilation’

Panorama, Armenia

The basis of a strong state is a traditional family, Homeland Party leader Artur Vanetsyan, the prime ministerial candidate of the “Salute of Honor and Respect” bloc, said at the ceremony of signing a memorandum on the formation of the electoral alliance with the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) on Saturday, congratulating the Armenian people on the International Day of Families celebrated on 15 May.

Vanetsyan said today is a very important and responsible day for them, noting as a result of long discussions, his Homeland Party and the RPA have decided to team up, form an alliance and jointly run in the upcoming snap parliamentary elections in Armenia, based on a common vision aimed at developing and strengthening the homeland.

“Over the past few days, we talked a lot about the formation of an alliance between the Homeland Party and RPA, what unites us and the possible ways to get our country out of this nightmare. We will talk a lot about this in the future, we will try to do everything possible so that every citizen of Armenia knows what programs we are going to implement after coming to power,” Vanetsyan said.

He noted at the same time that the alliance attaches importance to listing all the problems that concern the Armenian people. According to him, this process will make it possible to include all problems and ways to resolve them in these programs.

“We are sure that the pre-election period is not only for making promises and showing the advantage of a political force against its challengers. I consider it unacceptable to use the election campaign for such purposes, especially in the post-war period,” Vanetsyan said.

“There is an important thing that we all must realize: a significant part of our compatriots is mourning today, and we are all to blame for it – the people, the intelligentsia, the political elite. Due to the mistakes and omissions of all of us, a force came to power in Armenia, which ruined everything. We must clearly realize that we are facing a real threat of losing statehood and even annihilation,” he noted, citing the recent unhindered incursion of the Azerbaijani troops into Syunik and Gegharkunik Provinces of Armenia.

Vanetsyan believes this threat against the Armenian statehood can be overcome only through bringing together all the opportunities of Armenia, using the whole potential of the Armenian people and taking consistent efforts.

“Believe me, until now no one has fully understood and shared the grief of our people. Problems are perceived differently by different strata of our society, we have started not to understand each other and not to take into account each other's opinions. As a result of manipulations, society has been divided into “black” and “white”, “old” and “new” groups. All this leads to a dead end. This cannot continue any longer. We will bring solidarity to Armenia, the formation of our bloc is a vivid proof of it,” he said, promising to take every effort to resolve everyone’s problems.   

Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS