Author: Kalantarian Kevo

3 KIDS TO UNDERGO TREATMENT ABROAD DUE TO CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY INITIATIVE OF AMERIABANK

ARMINFO
Wednesday, March 6, 18:16

Ameriabank has summed up the results of the Corporate Social
Responsibility initiative under the slogan “Pay by Card and Help
Children!” held from Nov 1 2012 to 31 Jan 2013. The press service of
the Bank told ArmInfo that the 5.067 mln AMD raised within the frames
of the campaign has been handed to serious patients Nelly Petrosyan,
Gor Ghazaryan and Souren Poghosyan, who will go abroad to undergo
the relevant surgery.

To recall, all the cardholders of the Bank could take part in the
campaign by making noncash payments at any point of the world at any
trade outlet, as well as the cardholders of other banks, who made
payments at the trade outlets via the POS terminals of Ameriabank.

Ameriabank transferred 1 AMD from each 1000 AMD noncash payment to
the treatment of children.

Ameriabank has kept its promise and awarded 5 active cardholders
with iPhone 5 for their active participation in the campaign. The
Bank expresses its gratitude to all those who made a contribution to
this important initiative.

IZABELLA MURADYAN: ARMAVIA – UNEASY FLIGHT TO UNDERSTANDING

ArmInfo’s Interview with Izabella Muradyan, Deputy Chairperson of the
Air Transport Policy Sub-Committee of Armenian Public Council

by Elita Babayan

ARMINFO
Wednesday, March 6, 16:48

The numerous stories related to the problems of the national air
carrier Armavia, which are still vague for the public and sometimes
scandalous, have recently been marked by new developments. The air
carrier had to account to the VTB Bank for the failure to properly
perform its obligations. The Bank demanded that the company should
redeem a 22 mln USD debt. This is a loan provided to the air carrier
for acquisition of the first Sukhoi SuperJet 100 aircraft. In order to
clarify the situation around the air carrier, ArmInfo’s correspondent
has interviewed Izabella Muradyan, Deputy Chairperson of the Air
Transport Policy Sub-Committee of the Armenian Public Council. The
thing is that Muradyan and her colleagues in the Council urge the
authorities to preserve the Armenian air carrier, even to nationalize
it partly or fully.

Mrs. Muradyan, amid the critical comments on Armavia, particularly,
on the unprofitable activity of the company, the proposal on
nationalization of the company made by you and your colleagues in
the Sub-Committee seems somewhat strange. There are many states in
the world that lack national air carriers; nevertheless, they make
flights…

There is nothing strange in it. It was necessary to do that long ago,
or to be more precise, one should not have sold the company completely,
because the experience shows that the infrastructure objects of
strategic importance for the country cannot be completely private,
as this by all means leads to numerous problems for the sphere,
the owner and the citizens of the country.

As regards the countries you are talking about, they are either in
a stable geopolitical space, e.g. in the heart of Europe, or have
recently lost their national air carriers (i.e. they went bankrupt
or were acquired by the air giants), or they are extremely poor and
cannot (do not want) spend funds on not only an air carrier of their
own, but also on national aviation infrastructure and personnel. As
for Armenia, there are several circumstances that simply force us
to have our own aviation infrastructure. The geopolitical location
of Armenia itself, the regional conflicts, mountainous scenery and
the harsh continental climate lead to unstable development of land
transport carriages and to the air carrier’s seasonality schedule
that differs from that estimated in international air carriages.

As it is known, since 1988 till now Armenia has constantly been
in transport isolation – the communications through international
railways and highways have been blocked completely or partly. At
present, the only operating communications are two highways (Georgia,
Iran) which are passing through the heavy mountain terrain and are
unavailable in case of unfavorable weather conditions, and a branch
line of the international railway to the Georgian ports of Batumi
and Poti. Under these conditions, the only stable transport facility
for passenger operations and cargo carriages is aviation. It carries
out the lion’s share of passenger operations and most part of cargo
carriages from/to Armenia. It is the aviation that guarantees almost
uninterrupted communication of Armenia with the foreign world and
ensures the operation of the key segments of international economic
cooperation. Thus, I am convinced that the availability of our own
aviation infrastructure and national air carrier is not just an
economic issue; it is directly connected with the national security.

There will hardly be anyone to dispute your statement. But what
shall we do with our air carrier’s debts to Zvartnots Airport? The
behind-the-scenes bustle between the airport and Armavia is still green
in our minds. The situation around the apparently serious financial
difficulties of the national air carrier has not been clarified
yet. Who will be responsible for the debts and how did they emerge?

We tackled this problem in October 2012 and informed the public of the
real state of affairs in the market of air transportation. To recall,
the matter concerned the prices of services and jet fuel in Zvartnots
Airport, which are twice and more as high as the prices of services
and by 30-40% higher than those of jet fuel in such international
airports as Vnukovo, Domodedovo, Berlin, Venice, Dubai, etc. I think
the air company’s debts are directly connected with this circumstance.

In case of such difference, if the company consumes about 3,000 tons
of jet fuel monthly, it acquires a debt worth about 1 mln USD to the
airport. One more fact is also unacceptable: the jet fuel is supplied
to Zvartnots Airport by the owner of Armavia, who then buys it from
the airport at increased prices and has no opportunity to directly
provide his own air company with jet fuel (this order was approved
by the Government in 2012).

At present it is necessary to revise the issue of the lack of
competition inside the airport. And one more important circumstance
playing a certain role in the unprofitability of Armavia’s air
carriages is the lack of basic tangible discounts for the national
air company, which are provided to its competitors in their countries
(for instance, in Russia, Ukraine, Italy, etc.) and the discounts
reach over 80% (over 50% at the mean).

As regards other debts of Armavia and the persons to be responsible
for the debts, we think that first of all it is necessary to prevent
new debts by setting up a multilateral commission and involving not
only the conflicting parties and the government, but also the public,
and make the work of the commission transparent and available for the
country’s citizens. We have a fine up-to-date airport built within
10 years, however, its high prices of the services and the jet fuel
not only hinder the development of the national air carrier, but also
“take” the foreign air carriers (such as British Airways, LOT, Air
Baltica, Air Arabia, etc.) out of Armenia, and this actually makes
it impossible to fulfill the idea of creation of a Eurasian and
intercontinental transportation hub in Armenia.

How is that? The leadership of the airport has repeatedly stated that
the airport charges do not exceed 15% of the total expenses of the
air company, which is quite acceptable for any air carrier. Meanwhile,
you consider these charges to be too high, don’t you?

The thing is that the matter does not concern the purely airport
charges at all. The matter concerns the services, which in other
airports of the world are provided by other companies on the basis of
multiple competition (moreover, the air company serves itself), not by
the airport. These are very expensive services – ground handling and
fueling (including the fuel provision). According to the specialists’
estimations, the price of the ground handling and the jet fuel
constitutes about 47% of the prime cost of air tickets, i.e. the
higher the prices, the higher the flight prime cost. In addition,
all these problems affect the foreign air carriers flying to Zvartnots.

Can Armavia’s problems ruin our civil aviation system? Can we say
that our air service industry is facing a collapse?

Yes, I think the collapse of any of the segments, especially the
national air carrier, may cause a domino effect and pull down the
whole sector. The tragic death of five Armenian pilots in Congo in
Dec 2012 is a telling example of what our aviation industry may face:
old planes and hard work in developing countries, mostly in Africa –
this is where most of our pilots may find themselves if we no longer
have a national air carrier.

The most important thing here is that we live in a war zone, and
should we face an emergency, we will need natives, who will work for an
idea rather than out necessity. During the Nagorno-Karabakh war some
of my colleagues contrived to take as many as 100 people by Yak-40,
a plane that can carry no more than 32 people, and each time they
faced the risk of being shot down. They saved thousands of people. It
was something no foreigner would do for any money. In those times
some Russian experts pointed out that the key reason why our civil
aviation department was more efficient that the Azeri one was that
the Azeris had almost no native pilots (most of their Soviet-time
pilots were either Armenians or Russians).

One more example from the present: our pilots kept evacuating Armenians
throughout the civil war in Syria and stopped doing it only recently
when the Syrian fighters began blowing up planes. No single foreign
pilot agreed to do it. Without a national carrier one can have no
national pilots. And a country having no national aviation cannot be
regarded as sovereign.

How should the sector develop in order to avoid such a bad outcome?

There are different opinions, but some aspects are obvious: we
need a developed airport infrastructure, a national air carrier and
national personnel. And we need special institutions and mechanisms
for solving these problems. The Chief Civil Aviation Department
of Armenia has proved its efficiency as a regulator, but little
attention has so far been paid to measures that might encourage the
sector to grow. Here we need to follow the international experience
and to form a commission or a council comprising not only government
officials but also representatives of specialized companies and NGOs,
including Zvarnots Airport and Armavia.

Our key challenge today is the continuing conflict between Zvartnots
Airport and Armavia and Armavia’s inability to come out of its crisis.

Experts give lots of reasons why Armavia is unable to work properly: no
efficient management system, insufficient technological infrastructure,
no commitment to perform well and low professionalism of some
employees. But they in the company say that before the crisis they
also had these problems but still worked at profit.

What is the problem then? Can the government’s interference – more
specifically, acquisition of a basic stake in the company – help it
to survive?

I think the Government must interfere and must be given no less than
25% + 1 stake in the company – the so-called blocking shareholding.

But in order to show you the full picture, I would like to point to
some international aspects of this problem. The first thing you will
see when examining the situation in our aviation sector is that it
is experiencing a general decline.

The website airlines-inform.ru
()
gives a list of the world’s air companies that no longer exist or no
longer fly (mostly from Europe, the CIS and the United States). In the
last four years they number has grown from 44 to 158, this including
5 big European companies.

Today we have lots of examples of foreign air companies facing
bankruptcy and their governments helping them out. In Sept 2012
the Czech authorities gave Czech Airlines $100mln EUR so it could
avoid bankruptcy. In 2011 alone that company lost 241mln CZK (almost
$12.2mln). Polish LOT has borrowed from its government 400mln PLN
(100mln EUR) for the same purpose. Australian Airlines has debts
worth 900mln EUR, so, on Nov 13 one of its shareholders, Austrian OIAG
started negotiations for selling the company to Lufthansa. They have
also asked the Austrian Government to invest 500mln EUR and the latter
has agreed. Kuban from Russia, Aerosvit from Ukraine and Estonia Air
are facing similar problems.

Thus, we see that Armavia is not the only company facing such
problems. Simply in many countries aviation has long been regarded
as part of national security and enjoys state patronage.

Serzh Sargsyan was the only presidential candidate who mentioned
some of the sector’s problems. While meeting with voters in Kajaran,
he said that the authorities were considering restarting the Kapan
aerodrome. According to some media, a group of experts, led by
the head of the Chief Civil Aviation Department Artyom Movsisyan,
visited Syunik region recently so as to inspect all of the local civil
aerodromes (Sisian, Goris, Kapan and Meghri). Deno Gold and Zangezur
Copper-Molybdenum Combine are ready to sponsor their restart.

Let’s hope that this will become a new page in the history of Armenia’s
domestic aviation and that the problems of our aviation industry will
be gradually resolved.

Thank you for the interview.

OMBUDSMAN ADDRESSES POLICE PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS

TERT.AM
17:35 ~U 06.03.13

The Armenian Ombudsman’s Office has issued a report focusing on the
situation of human rights in the police sector.

The document has addressed the following shortcomings in the police
activities.

– Investigation and inquest bodies often subjected individuals
to an inhuman and degrading treatment in an effort to extort testimony;

– Individuals detained or taken to police stations were often
denied the right to have a lawyer;

– In 2012, police officers disallowed the installation of tents
at peaceful rallies (putting up one tent is considered lawful);

– The police have failed to pay due attention to the distribution
of bribes at elections and did not take proper measures towards
resolving such cases and holding those guilty accountable;

– The Passport and Visa Department and its regional and
district subdivisions often violated the required timeframes for
issuing passports to the Armenian citizens;

– Citizens often complained about disrespectful attitude by
the police;

– Problems were revealed in the procedures of recognizing and
using the convention travel document issued to refugees;

The finding further addressed positive developments, including:

– The police have essentially and significantly improved their
conduct at peaceful rallies;

– In 2012, police officers were in many cases held accountable
for violating the law;

– Pursuant to an instruction by the chief of police, the fines
for violating the traffic rules are no longer paid on the spot;

– Surveillance cameras were installed at different intersections
of Yerevan to ensure public security;

– Measures were taken to develop the activities of community
police subdivisions;

– Electronic passports with biometric data, and identification
cards have been effective on the territory of Armenia since June
1, 2012;

– To bring the refugee convention travel documents in compliance
with internationally accepted standards, the Armenian Police have
elaborated a bill proposing amendments to the Law on Refugees and
Asylum.

ORANGE CUSTOMERS MAY TRANSFER MONEY FROM ONE TO ANOTHER NUMBER

YEREVAN, March 6. / ARKA /. Orange Armenia telecom, a subsidiary of
France Telecom, has launched Money Transfer service which enables
the customers to transfer money from their mobile account to other
Orange numbers.

Money transfers can be performed by all Orange voice service customers;
moreover, it is not necessary for those who transfer money and those
who receive it to use the same voice service or the same tariff plan,
but in any case they should have positive balance.

Orange Let’s Talk prepaid service subscribers may perform a one-shot
transfer of minimum 1 AMD and maximum 2000 AMD. The total amount
transferred during 1 month should not be more than 5000 AMD. The
subscribers of Dolphin, Butterfly, Panther and Lion monthly
subscriptions, as well as of Orange Business services may perform a
one-shot transfer of minimum 1 AMD and maximum 5000 AMD. The total
amount transferred by the latter during 1 month should not be more
than 10 000 AMD.

Aram Lazarian, Orange Armenia Marketing Director, said: ‘The service
that we’re launching today gives wide possibilities to our clients.

Before today this kind of services available on the market were
offered to prepaid customers only, but “Money Transfer” service is
for everyone, moreover, customers of different difference services
and tariff plans can help each other. As usual, when designing the
service we have thought about comfort and freedom of customers.’

Customers may perform maximum 5 transfer operations and receive 3
money transfers daily.

To use the Money Transfer service customers will need to dial *122#,
press call button and follow the instructions. The service is paid –
for each money transfer the customers will be charged 20 AMD.

Orange Armenia, 100% subsidiary of France Telecom, launched
telecommunication services in Armenia on November 5, 2009. Now the
company provides a full range of voice and data services in 600 cities
and villages of Armenia available to more than 95% of the population.

-0-

FISH-BREEDERS ASSOCIATION HEAD: PRICE HIKE EXPECTED AT ARMENIA’S FISH MARKET AHEAD OF EASTER

YEREVAN, March 6. /ARKA/. Wholesale prices per one kilogram of fish
are expected to jump 100 drams ahead of Easter and add another 300
drams immediately after the holidays, Arthur Atoyan, head of the
Armenian Fish-Breeders Association, told journalists today.

He said one kilogram of fish is sold at 1,450 drams now.

“Fish shortage will grow after the holidays, since some 57 companies
stopped operating in recent months, and many fish-breeding farms
reduced their output” he said. “And this will drive prices up.”

Atoyan said that these changes are due to the restrictions imposed
by Rosselkhoznadzor, Russian Federal Service for Veterinary and
Phytosanitary Surveillance, on September 27, 2012 on four Armenian
fish-breeding companies’ exports to Russia, since it found colon
bacterium in the fish imported from Armenia and Iceland.

He stressed that it became not beneficial for Armenian fish-breeding
companies to produce fish in large quantities after they were left
without big orders from Russia.

“After that supply in Armenia grew, and as a result, market prices for
fish were equal to its cost price, and per-kg profits ranged between
80 and 120 drams,” Atoyan said adding that now fish-breeding farms
now prefer to produce fish in small quantities to cater for local
market alone.

He said 215 fish breeding companies operate in Armenia now instead
of 180 in 2011.

Armenia exported 1,530 tons of fish in 2012, 800 tons in 2011 and
600 in 2010.

Russia’s surveillance agency has found colon bacteria in the fish
exported by four companies – Aquatekhautomatica, Unifish, Dimitri
and Gos.

Armenian Fish-Breeders Association says fish exports, as a rule,
are carefully examined by Armenia’s food safety agency, but no colon
bacteria had been found.

Armenia’s fish sent to Russia makes up about 80% or 90% of its fish
exports. Armenia exports its fish also to Georgia, the United Arab
Emirates, the United States and other countries. -0-

SEDRAKYAN’S ARREST: EX-CANDIDATE’S AIDE SEES “MULTI-LAYER ORDER”

VOTE 2013 | 06.03.13 | 15:40

Photolure

By GOHAR ABRAHAMYAN ArmeniaNow reporter

The attorney of a presidential candidate accused and taken into
custody for allegedly having ordered the assassination attempt against
another candidate for presidency says the charges and the grounds
are not clear; he says he will be appealing the court permission for
the arrest.

Former presidential candidate, self-declared epos expert Vardan
Sedrakyan was taken under arrest on Tuesday with charges of ordering
the attempt to assassinate another candidate for presidency, leader
of National Self-Determination party Paruyr Hayrikyan in order to
terminate Hayrikyan’s political activities.

Sedrakyan’s attorney Alexander Sirunyan told ArmeniaNow that he has
met with his defendant, who claims he is not guilty and refuses to
give testimony.

“There is nothing surprising in the fact of the arrest, if there are
charges, naturally there should be an arrest. But the accusation is
groundless, the grounds are not stated, hence I am planning to file
a motion to the investigator to provide the grounds,” says Sirunyan.

Sedrakyan’s PR manager Hayk Kirakosyan, head of the Armenian Center
of PR Development, told ArmeniaNow that Sedrakyan’s arrest is clearly
a political persecution.

“Many expected that after the elections he would not be involved in
politics, but Sedrakyan has been actively involved, making appeals on
his Facebook page, holding press conferences, etc,” says Kirakosyan,
adding that Sedrakyan had long been talking about his possible arrest,
but many back then thought he was “indulging in populism to raise
his ratings, but now his ratings are not an issue”.

Karo Yeghnukyan, from Hayrikyan’s pre-election campaign, told
ArmeniaNow that they do not believe Sedrakyan was behind the attempted
assassination and that, in fact, “it was a rather multi-layer order”.

“Even if Sedrakyan indeed is an accomplice in this case, he cannot be
the ultimate mastermind who gave the order, because Sedrakyan lacks
motives to have assaulted Hayrikyan,” says Yeghnukyan.

The 63-year-old Soviet-era dissident, Hayrikyan survived a gunshot
attack on January 31, and was hospitalized with a wound below his right
collarbone. A few days later two suspects were taken into custody,
one of whom is Sedrakyan’s neighbor, both were workers who repaired
Sedrakyan’s apartment and summer cottage in Yeghvard.

Hayrikyan now continues his treatment – his right arm proved immobile
after the surgery – at “Gratsia” International Rehabilitation Center
of Armenian Red Cross Society.

STATEMENT OF THE RA NA FACTIONS ON ESTABLISHING REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA-REPUBLIC OF ARTSAKH FRIENDSHIP GROUP IN THE SEIMAS OF LITHUANIA

05.03.2013

On the occasion of establishing Republic of Lithuania- Republic of
Artsakh Friendship Group in the Seimas of Lithuania the factions of
the RA National Assembly made a joint statement, where it says:

“All the political factions of the National Assembly of the Republic of
Armenia welcome the establishment of the Republic of Lithuania-Republic
of Artsakh Friendship Group in the Seimas of Lithuania. This historical
step of the Lithuanian parliamentarians having no precedent is the
evidence of the fearless devotion of the Lithuanian people to the
lofty values of humanity, friendship, democracy and freedom, as well
as the beginning of new important haven of involving in dialogue the
Nagorno Karabakh people by the international community.

25 years ago the friendship, support and unity of the peoples
of Lithuania and Armenia paved a path for the restoration of
our statehoods. In the history of Armenian people Lithuania has
occupied eternal place as first country, which recognized our newly
independent republic. It’s peculiar and at the same time natural that
today also, as in the crucial days of gaining independence, the very
representatives of Lithuania were first that took such dignified and
brave step.

We express our gratitude, assessment and support to our Lithuanian
counterparts, being confident that Lithuania as an established
democratic country, won’t step back against friendship and peaceful
existence in the days of unnatural pressures causing hesitation and
the hysterical responses coming from Azerbaijan. We fully hope that
other Lithuanian parliamentarians adhered to all-human principles,
human fundamental freedoms, solidarity and peace will join the
initiative of the Seimas members, and in the legislative bodies of
other democratic countries this initiative will get new revelations.

Artsakh begins to be observed in the international arena as an
independent factor of politics: the facts of recognition of Artsakh
independence by some states of the USA and Australia testify to
that, the official visit of the Uruguayan Parliamentary delegation
to the NKR and other events witness that. The establishment of the
Friendship Group with Artsakh by the Lithuanian MPs is one more step
on that path.”

MANAS BOUJIKIAN NAMED KESSAB EDUCATIONAL ASSOCIATION MAN OF THE YEAR

Tuesday, March 5th, 2013

Manas Boujikian received “Man of the Year” award

LOS ANGELES-The Kessab Educational Association of Los Angeles has
named entrepreneur and philanthropist Manas Boujikian Man of the Year.

Boujikian was born in Kessab, Syria, in 1932, the son of a patriotic
Armenian. His father, Hagop “Quasir” Boujikian, left a comfortable
life in the United States in 1915 to return to Adana to defend his
beleaguered kinsmen. He then found a new home in Kessab, married
Bayzar Mashikian and had five children, one of them Manas.

The family migrated to the United States in 1954, and Manas Boujikian
went to college, earning a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Cal
State Los Angeles and taking graduate courses at USC and UCLA.

Though he’s an engineer and a farmer, Boujikian, like his father, has
dedicated his life to the Armenian Cause. He is one of the founders
of the grass roots organization ANCA and has been the driving force
behind the success of the ANCA, including a significant donation to the
purchase of the ANCA’s Washington, D.C., headquarters. Active in the
ARF and Armenian communities from Fresno to Glendale and to his home
town of Torrance, Boujikian is a humble servant of the Armenian Cause.

Boujikian lives in Torrance with Donalee, his wife of 55 years,
7 children, 21 grandchildren, and 2 great-grandchildren.

Many of Boujikian’s family members were present when he was awarded Man
of the Year at the KEA’s annual Armenian Christmas dinner on Sunday,
January 13, 2013, which was sold out this year as in past years. The
dinner featured traditional Armenian circle dancing.

RAFFI HOVHANNISYAN IS READY TO FORGIVE OBAMA AND HOLLANDE BUT HE WILL NEVER FORGIVE OSCE MG CO-CHAIRS

05.Mar.2013 – 17:38

Raffi Hovhannisyan’s and his supporters rally has started at Liberty
Square about half an hour ago. Raffi Hovhannisyan, who got the second
place at the Presidential election on February 18, announced that he
was ready to forgive everyone who was against his political attitude
during this time.

Raffi Hovhannisyan is sure that this “national crisis” must be
overcome together. The opposition leader also referred to the issue
that Russian, US, French Presidents have already congratulated Serzh
Sargsyan with his reelection.

“I can give them opportunity to correct their mistake. On February 18
Armenian nation has made its choice. I am ready to meet them and to
forgive but I will never forgive OSCE MG co-chairs. Madrid principles
will never be on the negotiating table again”, Raffi Hovhannisyan
announced.

MANVEL SARGSYAN: THE USE OF THE 1988 SCENARIO IS THE PLEDGE OF REPUBLICANS’ REMOVAL FROM POWER IN ARMENIA

ArmInfo’s Interview with Director of the Center for National and
International Studies Manvel Sargsyan

by David Stepanyan

ARMINFO
Thursday, March 7, 10:21

How would you assess the Feb 18 presidential election?

No free elections are possible in Armenia as long as its government
consists of oligarchs. This time everything happened the same way,
and the only difference was that most parties had initially assessed
the situation correctly. And the parties, which took part in the
May 2012 parliamentary election and criticized all those saying it
was senseless to participate in the election as election results
had already been predetermined by the authorities, came to the same
conclusion themselves before the presidential election. Thus, over
the past 15 years the results of all elections in Armenia have been
disputed, and during the Feb 2013 presidential election the parties,
politicians and candidates disputed the legitimacy of the election
itself. Such elections cannot be considered legitimate.

If Serzh Sargsyan had won the election legally, could he have
“dethroned” at least the most odious oligarchs?

I do not think so. This scenario is not applicable to either our
government system in general or Serzh Sargsyan personally. In such
elections voters have no say. It is the regime who decides how many
votes it needs to go on.

How effective is Raffi Hovannisian’s protest policy in the soft power
spirit and what results may the visits to the regions, non-recognition
of the election results and rallies give?

There are new elements in Raffi Hovannisian’s approaches to the
post-election situation if compared with the situation of 2008. First,
the kind and soft tone of the protest movement differs from the
black-white tones of similar movements of the previous years. Today
the tone of the talk with the power is absolutely different and the
“revolution of shaking hands” in some way reflects the atmosphere of
this tone. Moreover, the new wave of protest has in fact refuted the
party top, which has also become nonsense in our political reality.

Today one man is standing on the top and demands hauling down all the
party colours, in such a way giving a grounding for only the civilian
approach to the situation. I don’t know how long such an approach will
work, as the traditional approaches have already started ruining it.

Under what scenario do you think the change of power is possible?

Any protest movement has a leader who protests against something
and gathers people around himself. Today it is not clear how
Raffi Hovannisian is going to give power back to the people. The
ruling Republican Party of Armenia must be removed from power from
below. We must create lots of interim committees, which will form an
alternative to the regime as was the case in 1988. Such committees
begin to gradually push the regime out of power. For example, all
people living in a town can gather and dismiss their mayor. If this
is done on a general basis, the regime finally finds itself hanging in
the air, with the police and the army having taken the people’s side.

Analyzing the statements and the logic of Raffi Hovannisian’s
actions, one can come to the conclusion that he is going to apply
that strategy…

This is why I state that there is no other alternative. If this
scenario is already going on, one should expect the abovementioned
developments. Levon Ter-Petrosyan preferred starting with his own
party because his goal was to take power. Hovannisian’s goal is
first to dethrone the anti-constitutional regime and then to conduct
free elections. What happened in Georgia and Ukraine were semi-coups
with protesting people involved, while the events in Poland, Chile,
Serbia and SAR were classic examples of nationwide movements. I see
no alternative for us.

Is there a possibility that Raffi Hovannisian will make an arrangement
with the power?

I do not think it is possible. What may Raffi Hovannisian arrange with
the power about? Our power will never make an arrangement with him.

The power has already refused all his proposals.

May the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) once again become the Trojan
horse put by the authorities under the movement headed by Raffi
Hovannisian?

Certainly, it may. The vacuum was created at the latest presidential
election just with the help and thanks to this party, which has already
played the part of the Trojan horse. Of course, this is quite possible
today as well.

Almost all the congratulatory messages of the leaders of the USA,
the UK and France to Serzh Sargsyan contain a call for a change in
the status quo in Karabakh and progress in the Armenian-Turkish
normalization process. Sargsyan has already played his role by
initiating an unsuccessful process with Turkey. What else do they
expect from him?

The call for a change in the status quo in Nagorno-Karabakh and
progress in Armenian-Turkish relations contained in the congratulatory
messages addressed by the presidents of the US, the UK and France to
Serzh Sargsyan has only one implication – these countries will continue
their relations with Armenia. If tomorrow Serzh Sargsyan is removed,
they will send similar messages to the new president. The opinion that
Serzh Sargsyan is pro-Russian while Raffi Hovannisian is pro-American
is just a fiction. Almost all great powers have interests in Armenia,
and those interests are not always antagonistic.

Raffi Hovannisian has promised that Armenia will recognize
Nagorno-Karabakh’s independence, but the incumbent authorities evade
it. Doesn’t it demonstrate the sympathies of the West or Russia in
the authorities’ favor?

We don’t know what the US and Russia think about this. Russia keeps
hinting that it is high time for Armenia to recognize Nagorno-Karabakh
but the Armenian authorities are taking time in hope that they will
outlive the conflict as their predecessors did.

What serious changes can one expect from Armenia’s recognition of
the NKR?

Once recognized by Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh will get quite a different
role in international relations. The OSCE will have no more say on it,
and it will no longer be part of the Helsinki Act. The reluctance to
change something is an unserious approach. The direct evidence of it
is Northern Cyprus and its recognition by Turkey, due to which Cyprus
is no longer part of the Helsinki Act.