Vote 2013: Opposition `unity’ not likely under Tsarukyan candidacy
Politics | 23.11.12 | 15:49
By Gayane Abrahamyan
ArmeniaNow reporter
This week stood out for the partially broken silence Prosperous
Armenia Party leader Gagik Tsarukyan had been keeping for two months.
But when he did speak, the words were not as strong as the silence.
Thursday Tsarukyan stated that he had made a decision which he would
make public by November 30.
What is Tsarkukyan’s decision? This question will be the main intrigue
of the coming week in Armenia’s domestic political life, meanwhile it
is more important to understand where and as a result of which
consultations that decision has been made.
Looking at the domestic political developments one can assume that the
political consultations between the opposition and `alternative force’
Prosperous Armenia (PAP) have reached a deadlock and, just like during
the previous three presidential elections, the opposition will fail to
unite and go for the big run with a single candidate.
When PAP initiated these meetings with the main oppositional forces on
shifting to parliamentary system of administration and having a
`technical’ president, the participants periodically stated that
`individuals’ were not discussed.
However, on Wednesday, when speaking about the need to have a single
candidate during the opposition’s and PAP’ protest in front of the
parliament building against the ruling coalition’s boycott of the
ANC-initiated special parliament session the participants started
chanting `Levon, Levon – president’, PAP faction secretary Naira
Zohrabyan countered: `Single candidate Gagik Tsarukyan’ against the
chants for opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosyan.
Republican MP Karen Avagyan called this `consultation disagreement’,
and among political analysts it is viewed as the last stage of
inter-party meetings leading to a deadlock.
Zohrabyan’s impulse has revealed existing inner discord.
If until early this week ANC representatives, in particular ANC
coordinator Levon Zurabyan, were saying a singe candidate was a
possibility, they are avoiding the topic now.
On November 20, PAP MP and former Minister of Foreign Affairs Vartan
Oskanian wrote on his Facebook page that he cannot be a single
candidate, since during the meetings with regional structures
everybody insisted on Tsarukyan’s candidacy.
`Despite the fact that it was upon Gagik Tsarukyan’s suggestion that
my candidacy be discussed as a primary option, our fellow party
members spoke in favor of Tsarukyan and I agree with them,’ wrote
Oskanian.
If to Ter-Petrosyan supporters Oskanian could have become a more or
less acceptable candidate, political circles believe the prospect of
them uniting around Tsarukyan is highly unlikely.
On November 21, pro-PAP internet daily 7or.am cited Tsarukyan saying
at the recent closed-door meeting of PAP’s political council:
`It is not about my individual issues and will never be. I am not
pursuing any personal interest. As an individual I can solve all my
personal issues this way or another. But I can see a collapsing
country, emigrating people, suffocating injustice, total corruption,
growing destitution. And I cannot remain indifferent to all that. This
is my only issue,’ he said.
These words imply that the PAP leader’s decision is to run for
presidency, but it raises a number of issues, in particular, whether
the decision has been made as a result of consulting with the
opposition, or with the authorities.
Some political analysts are doubtful Tsarukyan could have made that
kind of decision alone, without first reconciling it with the
authorities, as Armenia’s wealthiest oligarch’s decision to go against
the authorities might be fatal for his businesses as it happened to
former MP, well-known businessman Khachatur Sukiasyan.
On the other hand, there is another factor pointing to the fact that
Tsarukyan’s decision does not reflect the opposition’s general
interests – Tsarukyan and seven more PAP MPs did not show up for the
special session, because `they were extremely busy’.
Meanwhile, the same day it became known that during those hours
Tsarukyan was present at arm wrestling sparring fights of a youth
team. Hence, if Tsarukyan’s decision was not made at 26 Baghramyan
Street [presidential residence], he would have come to the parliament
and by his presence would have confirmed his being a single candidate
and an `alternative force’. Yet, he did not.
`It is obvious that PAP is not alone in this, and one doesn’t need too
sharp an eyesight to spot Robert Kocharyan behind it [PAP],’ says
Heritage party MP Zaruhi Postanjyan, not ruling out that PAP might
soon re-enter the ruling coalition.
`I am convinced that the second and third presidents are operating in
accord,’ says Postanjyan.
From: Baghdasarian
http://armenianow.com/news/politics/41400/tsarukyan_terpetrosyan_kocharyan_elections2013