According to the aide and the acting press-secretary
to the first president Levon Zurabian who, as we recently learned, has contacted
in the past with the US presidential candidate John Kerry. We asked him to elaborate
on that meeting. In 1995 Levon Zurabian visited USA and met
with the representatives of the US Senate, the presidential administration and
leading mass media. The Armenian American Association had then invited him to
Boston where he met the vice-governor of Massachusets and one of the senators
elected from that state – John Kerry. "The meeting with him took place at
the house of Albert Papoyants, a wealthy businessman engaged in transportation
business,- said Levon Zurabian. – And John Kerry was also there". According
to our interlocutor Kerry has established serious relations with the Armenian
community of Boston and many of them had financed his election campaigns. "
I was asked to make a speech and I began with my meeting with the Republican vice-governor
the day before. The latter had wondered what kind of political party the Armenian
National Movement /HHSH/ was. I answered that we were a liberal party. The word
"liberal" sounds almost as a curse for a conservative Republican and
you could have read the sour expression on the vice-governor’s face. I rushed
to explain to him that we could be considered liberal only in comparison with
the Communists and that we were positioned on the right side of the political
spectrum of Armenia exactly as Republicans were in the USA. Only then he felt
at ease, – said L.Zurabian. Now, continued I, as only Democrats were gathered
here, I can say without reservations that we are a liberal party. And yet I emphasized
that neither Republicans nor Democrats, and especially nor ANM were ever infallible
and therefore, besides the God and the history, there is only one arbiter, the
people, to ultimately decide on who was truthful. When I finished the speech senator
Kerry approached and warmly greeted me. He then said that it was always a linchpin
of his political philosophy that a partisanship should never become an orthodoxy
and a politician has to serve the truth rather than to subject himself to partisan
purposes. By the way, Kerry’s opponents in the USA criticize him for constantly
changing his stances, inconsistency, alliances with the Republicans etc. I reject
that criticism and believe that Kerry’s strength is in his being brave enough
to pursuit the truth".Are not the close relations with the Armenian community
instrumental for John Kerry’s promise related to the recognition of Genoside?
"Of course, there is something to it",- said Levon Zurabian. However,
this is not to be a reason for falling into euphoria, as the pre-election politics
and the policy based on the national interests of USA could be quite different
things and can even contradict each other". Does it mean he fears that after
the elections Kerry will not keep his promise the same way as Bush didn’t?"I’ll
not frame it that categorically. I think the Kerry’s serious Armenian connections
will affect his policies to some extent. Yet, right at that moment when the Armenian
lobby’s pressures go contrary to the interests of national security of the USA
there wouldn’t be even a compromise option available".In the beginning
John Kerry was behind in polls, then he defeated Bush in the television debates,
however, the primary results of elections are once again in favor of Bush. In
such circumstances, is it difficult to guess who will be elected as the US president
on November 2. Asked whether the results of elections can be predicted, Levon
Zurabian answered: "Absolutely not. This is the most unpredictable election
in the history of the USA. Even in the previous Bush-Gore race the picture was
much clearer than this time. It is close as never". Levon Zurabian noticed.
"Bush has qualities of a strong and reliable leader and his reelection would
not be a foregone conclusion, if there were not doubts in the American society
over justifiability of his decision to invade Iraq. I think Kerry puts this issue
in the right way: Iraq did not threaten the national security of the USA. Yet
presently, the invasion itself created a chaotic situation with no evident exit
strategy. Moreover, if Americans will be compelled to withdraw from Iraq it will
easily become a heaven for radical jihadists and terrorists". But as he considers
all this "not evident" for the American society, is not he sure that
Bush will be reelected? "It really makes no sense trying to guess, nobody
is able to predict",-reiterated Levon Zurabian.Anna
Israelian