The
member of Armenian delegation in PACE Shavarsh Kocharian has become a target in
the "Justice" bloc for his partners from "Republic" and "Armat".Shavarsh
Kocharian preferred not to answer to the accusations addressed to him during the
interview with us that "perhaps the atmosphere in Strasbourg gives such approaches
but it doesn’t connect with the atmosphere in Armenia", "It is obvious
that the authorities to which some oppositionists have joined go to illegalities
and for example Shavarsh Kocharian who also is engaged in that work must think
in favor what he goes for such illegalities. Is it too difficult to understand
that in the atmosphere of intolerance in the country Constitution can’t be adopted
and the illegalities are unavoidable."Instead he spoke about affirmations
of the politicians from "Republic" party that to achieve constitutional
amendments with these authorities means to obtain some political agreement, to
legitimize this authority and to forget the slogan of the authority on restoring
the constitutional order. "There is some thesis which come from lack of information,
– Shavarsh Kocharian said. Thesis number one: there has been a Strasbourg agreement
for which I haven’t been authorized." Then he added: "People don’t know
that the opposition haven’t completed any agreement. There was an agreement in
Strasbourg between representatives of the authority and the commission of Venice".
The second, if there was a joint approach it refers to the resolution as all those
positions, which the opposition would demand, are included in the resolution.
And those who criticize it let them produce any point of the resolution, which
they would like to be changed. By the way the bloc has expressed its position
rather clearly. I have always said if they are satisfied we’ll take part in that
process. As regards the project of amendments when we get it officially a sitting
of the bloc will be held where we’ll give appraisal. But I think that the bloc
will answer for its declaration, public announcements."Speaking on the
argumentation that the illegal authority can’t change the constitution Shavarsh
Kocharian said: "It is obvious that this is the document which adopt the
people and not the authority. It is another problem that it must pass through
the authorities and NA for being available for the people. But if you have enough
levers for insisting for that text to be profitable for the people and state then
it isn’t understanding for me not to do it." Shavarsh Kocharian also mentioned
that saying; "yes" to the referendum doesn’t mean that the President
of the country will stop being "non-legitimate". He was sure that Robert
Kocharian would live from the authority irrespective from the results of constitutional
referendum. But during his lecture in the CE school of Political studies Shavarsh
Kocharian has declared that if there weren’t last developments in Strasbourg he
would say that the only reason was the velvet revolution. We reminded him this
affirmation and were interested if the opposition didn’t have any discrepancy
with the authority beside constitutional amendments. Though Shavarsh Kocharian
mentioned that he didn’t see any thing more important than it was as the Constitution
predetermined the essence of the country but he also reaffirmed: "All those
questions, appraisals, demands which the opposition has proposed in time still
remains in the agenda. There is another problem. If the authorities tried to change
the constitution of the country is it worth for the authority to stress on that
problem. Especially when it comes from our public declarations."Shavarsh
Kocharian summarized: "Armenia has two ways for ending the deadlock: either
the authorities will dismantle that authoritarian system by the constitution or
the only way will be the velvet revolution. Certainly there is a fair question
why the authority which rigs the elections, infringes the Constitution etc must
go on the first way and will be more realistic to realize the changes under the
rule of the new authority. Such a question must be asked by all means. But we
must take into consideration the circumstance that the person who leads the authority
wants to keep hiss commissions. Today Robert Kocharian will dismiss however he
wants to stay for the third term. That situation forms rather positive opportunities
to manage to solve this basic problem."Anna Israelian