“NEED TO APPOLOGIZE”

Leader of “Heritage” Party Raffi Hovanisyan says alluding to Levon Ter-Petrosyan.

–         “Heritage” faction voted “against” postponing for 90 days your initiative “About NKR recognition”. Why didn’t the members of “Heritage” Party oppose when the NA commission of foreign relations made a decision to postpone on October 19 because of your absence?

–         Stepan Safaryan was present in that sitting and was ready to present the draft. He has simply asked the members of the commission to give their opinion. This draft should be heard in the NA on September 28, within 30 days after presentation of the draft. But it wasn’t discussed on September 28. I was in NA that day and was ready to present the draft. In the last moment it was decided to discuss it on October 19. And the representatives of those political forces which were criticizing and condemning this draft, wanted to postpone it. I respect their decision, because they should analyze more deeply this issue very important both for Armenia and NKR.

–         Can you explain how it happens when the Armenian Sociological Association makes a poll according to “Gallup” system, 66% have positive attitudes towards the activities of “Heritage” and 19% give your name as the future president? But when the same association makes a poll without “Gallup” system only 7, 1% gives their votes for “Heritage”, and 12, 3% citizens are ready to vote for you?

–         First of all, everybody knows that public poll and political reality are quite different conceptions. “Gallup” system poll shows that “Heritage” and I have managed to overcome informative blockade and various pressures and enjoy people’s confidence. Different approaches may be the reason of political issues. I think that our public rating is the same as it was in the pre-electoral period or during the latest “Gallup” poll.

–         Not only Levon Ter-Petrosyan has met with you yet but also ARF . “Heritage” doesn’t exist in any format. Isn’t it isolated?

–         Sometimes the truth is isolated in life and policy. The truth has its principles. You know our political conditions. It is obvious that “Alternative” has its leading place in opposition alternatives. And those who want to isolate, exclude us from other formats, ignore that alternative. But we aren’t the only alternative. And I think that each state official, president or oppositionist when say that they don’t have any alternative, they admit that they have failed their state duty. Everybody should have an alternative. “Heritage” is ready to nominate its candidacy, defend and try to succeed in the elections but it is not the goal of the life.

–         “Heritage” party member Anahit Bakhshyan told “Aravot” as if “nowadays authorities are the successor of Levon Ter-Petrosyan in all cases. There is no difference between them”. Do you also think so?

–         I think that there are qualitative differences but we also shouldn’t deny that the existed vices, which have been extended and deepened, have had their origin during the first decade of RA independence. I think that each oppositionist who is going to nominate his candidacy in the upcoming elections, he should manage not only to analyze the current situation and offers his cure but also to face the past mistakes and vices. I also think that there is a need to apologize, people are waiting for it.