RA former Prime Minister Hrant Bagratyan thinks.
Andranik Margaryan held the post of prime minister longer than the former prime ministers.
- We must take two circumstances into consideration; each prime ministerial period is both more difficult and more specific. I think that durability wasn’t Andranik Margaryan’s merit, his merit was right comprehension of strategic line, the attempt to continue the reforms of market economic order, though the wave he came to power with, was to be more aggressive economically and democratically in the main. So we shouldn’t judge him by durability. It was both easer and more difficult in the period of his rule, in general, the times are incompatible. Time includes different size of intensity in it.
- I had a conversation with Andranik Margaryan when he was feeling the PM’s post for about 1,5 year, and he praised former Prime Minister Hrant Bagratyan and said that you had worked right, that he was meeting you and discussing some questions.
- I have met with Andranik Margaryan for several times. We have spoken only about general things. I haven’t had certain meetings to discuss certain problems; we have spoken about general problems, further developments. We have spoken about independence, which must be the strategy for a small country with closed ways, are we going to produce everything in our country or we must be specialized in something. I was interested in his opinion and he was interested in mine.
- For the current situation what kind of PM should Armenia have?
- It is very difficult; the prior problem is centralization of economy in Armenia. The capitalism and socialism are very similar. Everything belongs to the state in socialism, and everything is concentrated in the hands of several persons in the period of wild capitalism. There is no difference whether it belongs to the state or several persons, as those “several persons” are identical with the state and state institutions. This is the first and main problem. Andranik Margaryan was getting over that problem, because he was a patient person. The next is the political elite /ruling clique/, its influence on the prime minister, in the parliament, and we must take this into consideration. But what must we do to overcome and rule this? The mass of citizens and economic subjects must exist for the governance, but if everything is concentrated in the hands of several people, there is no mass, no necessity for the governance, so the prime minister isn’t needed.
- Mr. Bagratyan, according to some analyzes, Robert Kocharyan is going to become prime minister again, as according to the reformed constitution the prime minister will have more levers than the president has today. What is your opinion about this?
- I can’t judge about those prospects, I myself think that the prime minister doesn’t become the president according to the amended constitution. Finally, why will the president want to fill the post of prime minister after being the president, what will impede him to retire. This is another point of conversation. Because the person who has filled the posts of prime minister, NA chairman or any of the ministers, he can’t work as advisor after. If you advise, give your advice out of work. Everybody advises. I have this standpoint about the career “evolution”.
- If you are suggested to fill the post of prime minister again in this situation, will you agree?
- The point isn’t that it is less possible but there are simply different times. Anyway, we should speak about the political situation of Armenia in 40 days.