ARMENIAN OPPOSITION LEADER URGES GOVERNMENT TO RELEASE "POLITICAL PRISONERS"
by Anna Israelyan
Aravot
July 29 2008
Armenia
"It is too early to talk about candidacy"
Heritage party still undecided on joining opposition National Congress
The chairperson of the board of the Heritage party, Anahit Bakhshyan,
has announced recently that [party leader] Raffi Hovhannisyan will
be their candidate in the next presidential election. When asked by
Aravot whether he will propose his candidacy in the next presidential
election, the leader of the [opposition] People’s Party of Armenia,
Stepan Demirchyan, replied: "I have not been thinking about my
participation in the future election. I believe that generally it is
the wrong time to talk about it." We reminded him that the [opposition]
Armenian National Congress plans to demand an extraordinary election
if its demands [the major one being release of "political prisoners"]
are not met, and Demirchyan answered: "We will talk when the election
is held."
[Correspondent] How do you evaluate the arguments voiced by the
Heritage Party for not joining the Armenian National Congress
yet, which said that neither programme details or procedures or
decision-making mechanism became clear in the talks with the initiators
of [the congress]. So how do other parties make such a responsible
decision, when the content of the major document is unclear?
[Demirchyan] Heritage’s position is very understandable. I treat
this position normally. Of course, there are issues that need to be
clarified – starting from the decision-making mechanism.
[Passage omitted: Demirchyan reiterates his opinion that parties that
would make up the congress will continue to be independent entities
and the congress will act as a coordinating body]
National Congress to unite parties with different concepts
[Correspondent] Partners of the People’s Party of Armenia of the recent
period, back when they opposed the Justice alliance [an opposition
alliance formed ahead of the 2003 presidential election] often put
forward accusations that forces with opposing concepts were united
in this alliance. The [opposition] Alternative [initiative] stressed
initially that those were united around the [election] manifesto on
a common ground. However, we should reply that then they went exactly
the same way, like different, even conceptually opposing forces.
[Demirchyan] The observation is correct. I am happy that our
opponents understand with time that we were right. Yes, when the
talk is about the country’s democratization and establishment of
constitutional order – efforts need to be joined, irrespective of
conceptual differences. At present the parties in the [opposition]
Popular Movement have disagreements, but they have put those aside to
solve important issues like at that time [of the Justice alliance]. At
the same time, we attach great importance to mergers and enlargement
of parties on conceptual grounds.
Guided by principle of peaceful struggle
[Correspondent] There was a time when your current partners also
criticized you for a lack of resolve. [Former President] Levon
Ter-Petrosyan also announces reaching a change of power without
assaulting buildings, using peaceful methods.
[Demirchyan] Resolve is often mistaken for boasting in our
reality. Resolve is not saying big words and making pompous statements.
[Passage omitted: Demirchyan speaks more about people making pompous
statements]
[Demirchyan] Starting from the beginning we were guided by the
principle of peaceful struggle. Now the opposition has also adopted
this principle and so has Levon Ter-Petrosyan who came to a meeting
at the People’s Party of Armenia and said that he would go exclusively
the constitutional way.
[Correspondent] The stronger the opposition, the more the government
has to reckon with its demands. In your opinion, taking into
consideration the current condition of the Popular Movement, does the
wish of the authorities to carry out the demands of the opposition
grow or diminish?
"Political prisoners" should be released
[Demirchyan] When they say that the opposition makes the government go
for some steps, reforms – there is a truth in this. Of course, today
we still see no real steps taken and political persecutions of people
are continuing. The government should realize that the issue cannot be
settled by playing for time. If they think that the people will get
tired of fighting, this is not true. Irrespective of this heat, of
the hot summer, the sit-in protest in Northern Avenue [in the centre
of Yerevan] is continuing. They should realize this and take real
steps. It is obvious that the fist step in this regard is release of
political prisoners. [President] Serzh Sargsyan said that how could he
release all [imprisoned people] by one phone call? However, in essence
they were imprisoned "by one phone call". The quicker the government
settles this issue, the more it will contribute to easing the tension.