Hayots Ashkharh, Armenia
Dec 22 2007
`NATIONAL UNITY”S CONSCIENCE IS CLEAR AND HEART – TRANQUIL
Though Ter-Petrosyan has promised not to respond to the criticism
heard from the opposition camp in his address and direct his
anti-propaganda arsenal exclusively against the pro-governmental
candidate, the propaganda-machine attending them, advances more and
more `worn out’ compromising evidences targeting those who refuse to
submit themselves to the game rules dictated by Armenian Pan National
Movement.
How can you explain similar extreme intolerance of the members of
Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s team? Deputy leader of `’National Unity”
Koryun Arakelyan responds to our questions.
”As you know ”National Unity” came out with an announcement
with a rather important initiative, appealing to all the political
powers, leaders and possible presidential candidates to conduct a
proper pre-election campaign, to speak about their own programs, to
propose approaches beneficial for the country and the people.
We proved that we are the men of our word, but unfortunately the
ex-president together with his team-members went beyond all the
limits of correctness. They did it not because they had something
against us, but because the before mentioned approach didn’t coincide
with their plans – to destabilize the country to create conflicting
armies and by dividing the political domain into white-and-black to
instigate provocation and to lead the country to a civil war. Had all
the political parties acted in the framework of political correctness
the before mentioned plan would have been doomed to failure long ago.
This is the whole story.
Of course we are their principal target, but as you can see at the
moment they don’t spare other pro-opposition presidential candidates
as well, they have operated their old slogan `’those who are not with
us they are against us”. In such circumstances naturally we can’t
hold a healthy civilized debate based on mutual tolerance that is why
the only thing for them to do is to blemish everyone’s names, be it
Artashes Geghamyan, Vazgen Manukyan or anyone else.
But they must know that they deal with a political power, which is
far not vulnerable. We have been neither with the former authorities
nor with the present ones. As they said in the famous film ”Saroyan
Brothers” we haven’t killed the grandfather and we haven’t killed
the priest. Our conscience is clear and our heart is tranquil, we
have criticized the former authorities and we have given harsh
estimations to the activity of the present authorities. We haven’t
changed our attitude, we are still disapproved of the social-economic
and financial and credit policy pursued by the present day
authorities, by the activity directed to the reduction of poverty and
fighting against corruption and other manifestations of unlawfulness.
We have many a time introduced our approaches regarding the before
mentioned phenomena and in the near future we will have chances to
touch upon these issues. I should remind you that Geghamyan’s book
consisting of 1000 pages sharply and fairly criticizes the activity
of the present day authorities.”
“In fact the activists of Armenian Pan National Movement refused
your appeal for unification, something that cannot be said about the
pro-governmental candidate. Despite the harsh criticism in his
address, Serge Sargsyan not only met A. Geghamyan but also
unequivocally underscored that independent of anything he considers
the latter a valuable rival and a patriotic personality.”
` I have been informed from the press that when responding to the
questions of the journalists the Prime Minister expressed positive
opinion about Artashes Geghamyan, particularly saying that he is a
patriotic political figure. He has also expressed readiness to meet
not only Artashes Geghamyan but also all the other political figures,
both pro-governmental and pro-opposition, in the constructive domain,
in order to debate and to discuss issues.
This means a new political culture has been created in our reality
and the authorities realized that the only pre-condition to tackle
the internal and external challenges is to consolidate our nation,
instead of separating the people into strangers and ours. How can we
confront these challenges if the nation is not united?
After all, our party’s slogan is not accidental. We are loyal to
the slogan ”national unity” and today we believe those who have
declined from the right path and are trying to split society can stop
and return to a civilized mode of action. Otherwise instead of
winning the elections our people will become weaker after the
forthcoming presidential elections. Isn’t it enough to scatter our
power by splitting society?
”Does the process of looking for supporters in the territorial
organizations of `’National Unity” continue or they have quit their
`’soul-hunting” activity?”
”Their hunting didn’t show any good results it was doomed to
failure especially in case of ”National Unity”. The power that has
confidence in itself will never use similar methods to bring people
into their team. Those who take similar measures first of all
discredit themselves.
Or how can they predict the results of the elections, or question
the whole process of the elections, or write letters to several
international organizations. This is really surprising; if we take
into consideration the fact that the same international organizations
gave positive estimations to 2007 Parliamentary elections, which was
quite unacceptable for us. How can the same structures be impartial
in their estimation regarding the forthcoming presidential elections?
LILIT POGHOSYAN