WE SHOULD HAVE A LEGITIMATE PRESIDENT

“Rule of Law” Party leader Arthur Baghdasryan says.

–         The opposition has several descriptions: constructive, radical, flexible. In your opinion which kind of oposition «Rule of Law» is, and what kind of projects do you have for the future?

–         There are two descriptions in the modern  policy: authority and opposition. The rest formulations are imitations. Today we are a classical opposition and we carry out our political activities just from this position aiming to form a competitive and democrartic country. And the guarantee of public peace is the people\’s authority, the aim of which should be the formation of a country with a great internal power. I am sure that there is no time for political tricks. This is time for a new beginning: we call everyone to put aside the feeling of desperation or helpfulness in connection with our country\’s future and unify in this dramatic and responsible period for our nation.

–         What relations do you have with Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan?

–         Political, in one word.

–         Are you going to nominate your candidacy in the presidential elections 2008, will you be the joint candidacy for the part of opposition?

–         The campaign is launched officially from November, and the importance of presidential elections is decisive for the future of our country. The only way for progress and development is cohesion round national problems.

If I give positive answer to your question, it will cause new discussions full of different and groundless interpretations, if I answer “no”, the reply also will the same. So I won’t answer that question for two purposes.  First of all, we are in discussion period with different political structures, and second, discussions will be made inside the party, and we’ll declare our position later.

Each decision must have at least two basic aims: to form democratic population inside the country and competitive state out of the country’s borders. For that reason we need in special strategy based on mutual tolerance and new ideas. Democratic country can’t depend on those leaders who have no connection with their people. So we should have a legitimate president, who will be able not only persist the challenges but also to build bridges for the nation.

–         You like speaking of European values, democracy, international remarks, but did you see what happened, when a lot of people think that the results of May 12 parliamentary elections were rigged, while all those European instances gave high remarks. Aren’t you disappointed?

–         It is very important to feel and understand, remark and appraise the power of solidarity of free and democratic world for the formation free and democratic country. Unfortunately it wasn’t so for two reasons: the authority used the power of money and acted for the opposition’s discrepancy, organizing the authority reproduction. Look, the whole TV sector, press are under control. The reason isn’t only the Europeans but there are a lot of people who don’t believe in the possibility of establishment of democracy. An interesting debate is made between United States and Europe: stability, democracy and open society or close and frightened society. Several of them have cast doubt whether democratic countries have any right to insist on their values in a region where they are refused. And the question is obvious in this case: open, free democracy or close, governing? Sometimes facts are brought as if the current regimes of the Middle East make pressure on the freedom but there is an assurance that those regimes make pressure on the worst alternative, the radicals, who can win in the elections. The idea is clear: it is better to deal with a relative close regime than a hostile democratic system.

–         What does happen in your party, why do people leave it?

–         What happens in post electoral period is very natural process. Our party turns from mass party into classical western type party, where the standards of party membership will become stronger. Irrespective of false and various manipulations, OEP is one of the well organized parties. We\’ll indeed fight to create democratic and competitive Armenia.