PAP HAS TWO WAYS
ARMAN GALOYAN
Story from Lragir.am News:
Published: 16:53:23 – 09/04/2012
Interview with Levon Zurabyan, the coordinator of the Armenian
National Congress, head of the campaign headquarters of the Armenian
National Congress
The exaggerated voters’ list is discussed intensively. What is the
remedy to this exaggerated voters’ register?
The strategy depends on what problem we are addressing and what
problem the society needs to mobilize for, not only the Armenian
National Congress supporters but a possibly wider circle. This
problem is simple. If we demolish the confident majority of the
Republican Party, and hands-on tool for Serzh Sargsyan’s government,
new political prospects and opportunities will open up for the Republic
of Armenia. Hence, the problem must be set out publicly – demolish the
Republican majority ensuring the impunity of the punishment machine.
If we lay out the problem this way, we must bring together the society,
NGOs, political forces. The guarantee of our success is to create a
black and white image. The movement struggles the regime. But we must
understand what strategy is right, a black or white situation – the
Congress vs. Republicans and BHP, etc. or a black or white situation
with a broader consolidation of forces. We think the second approach
is realistic when all the political forces join against the main actor
of election fraud to clean the political stagnation in Armenia. The
Republican majority in the next parliament will continue stagnation.
Are the political forces ready to unite against the Republican Party?
We see the interest, we see that the other forces are ready to do
everything they can to ensure more or less free and fair elections. It
would be too lavish to miss this chance which we cannot afford to do.
This is the reason why the Armenian National Congress had a
constructive approach to the creation of campaign headquarters, and it
was eventually possible to sign the declaration on the establishment
of the headquarters.
Do you think the PAP is independent enough to be in government and to
act against the other government wing, the Republican Party? Is this
a put-up job ahead of the elections, with Serzh Sargsyan cultivating
a new Arthur Baghdasaryan with the help of the Congress?
This situation cannot be compared with Arthur Baghdasaryan’s phenomenon
because he acted in the opposition camp and created controversies
in the opposition camp. The difference is that the PAP is in the
government camp. We can see controversies in the government.
The first is that they cannot resist to pressure on behalf of Serzh
Sargsyan and lose their independence. Roughly speaking, they are being
subdued by the regime. In this case, however, the electorate which
was gained through independence turns to the opposition. The second
way is to deepen independence, and they are somehow separated from the
criminal regime of which they were part. The second development will
foster the fulfillment of the goals of the Movement. It means that the
government will be divided, and Serzh Sargsyan’s regime will weaken.
Hence, I do not see what we can lose. Moreover, I am sure that our
strategy is right.
Don’t you fear that the BHP will take the votes of the opposition?
How can a party making part of the government which bears
responsibility for the government take the votes of the opposition?
The electorate and resource of the government are divided rather than
that of the opposition.
You reported violations by the Republicans to the Central Election
Commission. The same is done by the PAP. The Prosperous Armenia
committed the same violation. But the Congress criticized the
Republicans only. Why?
We explained that our strategy is to target the Republican Party. And
this is the way we act. Certainly, our approaches are based on
legal and political concepts. After all, the government bodies are
responsible for eliminating election fraud.
Will you dwell on violations by the PAP? For instance, they offer
election bribes calling them charity.
We do not tolerate any violation, irrespective of the author. We will
voice concern about everyone. But our criticism will focus on the
Republicans, we will collect information against the Republicans. This
is our strategy. And very soon the society will see the effectiveness
and fruits of this strategy.
I wanted to ask if you consider this strategy as effective.
Once what we call consensus 1, that is an anti-Republican camp,
is formed if everyone stands up against election fraud, it will be
effective, won’t it?
When 4 political forces, including the Congress, signed a document on
the creation of a joint campaign headquarters, first the Republican
speaker Samvel Nikoyan announced that an advisory body was set up,
then Member of Parliament Davit Harutiunyan proposed that the political
forces sign a code of conduct. Will the Congress join the Republican
initiatives? If not, why?
After the creation of the joint campaign headquarters of four political
forces the government is in panic. During the signing of the document
the Republican representative left the table of the talks.
Then fussy and nervous comments followed, aiming to take the initiative
into their hands. Nikoyan’s proposal to set up a monitoring group
in the National Assembly and Davit Harutiunyan’s proposal to sign
a code of conduct indicates attempts of Republicans to escape the
isolation. Now they are trying to take initiatives, as if for ensuring
the legality of elections. In reality, their purpose is to thwart the
initiative of these four. They will try to influence the political
forces, come up with distracting initiatives. They do not understand
one thing though. Their initiatives are unacceptable. Election fraud
must be punished, prosecuted rather than offered cooperation. What
should we cooperate on when they collect passports, pledge election
bribes? They have already published the illegally formed voters’
register. What shall we cooperate on with this force? Election fraud?
We pinpoint this fraud. They are free to eliminate. Let them withdraw
over 700,000 non-existent names from the register. When the society
sees them commit fraud, is it possible to trust offers to form joint
structures? Of course, not. Nobody believes it. This is pharisaic. We
were ready to negotiate democratization with the regime, which requires
a comprehensive solution. The regime refused. No cooperation is
possible because cooperation is not participation in their propaganda
show. It won’t do. We need free and fair, lawful elections.
The PAP also offers election bribes calling it charity but, on the
other hand, signs the document on the set up of the headquarters.
We agreed to the proposal of incorporating a provision on election
bribes in the declaration of forming the headquarters. We are ready
to discuss every issue in the united headquarters. We are ready to
sign every draft. However, the creation of a joint headquarters is
important at least in order to be able to act against such election
fraud as ballot stuffing, violations in polling stations, miscount. In
other words, together we can cope with the election fraud organized
and monopolized by the Republicans. But we must understand that an
election bribe is the most difficult to evidence and to prove. In fact,
it can be revealed by way of the measures of the police, national
security service and law enforcement bodies. In other words, in the
long run Serzh Sargsyan’s regime is responsible.
From: A. Papazian
http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/interview25756.html