Before Levon Ter-Petrosyan announced about his nomination.
The sharp political debate made us remember the recent remarks addressed against the First President of Armenia. RA President’s advisor Garnik Isagulyan who promised to detect biographical details about Levon Ter-Petrosyan, declared in “Urbat” club on July 10: “I don’t want to deny Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s important contribution to our victory in 1994”. But he was sure that time that Levon Ter-Petrosyan will not nominate his candidacy.
It is much more interesting to read the remarks of RPA politicians.
RPA council member Armen Ashotyan who declared in “Hayatsk” club that “That person can’t hold the post of the president because first of all he tries to cheat the people, second, he is not aware of political situation, third, he is not able to deal with facts and analyze”, the same person was saying about Levon Ter-Petrosyan in the interview to “Iskakan Iravunq” on July 13: “I think that this respectable politician won’t take such a step which will pour water on several oppositionists’ mill at the expense of his authority and principles”. Armen Ashotyan has also noted: “Anyway, Levon Ter-Petrosyan is the leader of Armenian political thought of the 20th century, and Serge Sargsyan is the leader of the 21st century”.
RPA council member Galust Sahakyan declared in “Pastark” club on August 15: “Levon Ter-Petrosyan is not a leader of a common political party, he is our first president, it is a historical phenomenon, and Levon Ter-Petrosyan has his great contribution to the reality. I feel bad when political teams manipulate his name. He is a prudent and wise politician.” Two days later he confirmed the same in “Iskakan Iravunq”: “We should separate Levon Ter-Petrosyan from any kind of political manipulations. He is our first president and is already a historical phenomenon. We should observe this way: the person who has served our homeland and people, his activities shouldn’t be connected with any party”. Another quotation from Galust Sahakyan about RPA strategy: “It is natural that if Tigran Karapetich or David Hakobyan nominates his candidacy, the strategic approach will not be the same. In case of Levon Ter-Petrosyan, who, in my opinion, will not nominate his candidacy, since you say a theoretical thing, the approach will be more peculiar and civil”.
Galust Sahakyan’s answer incubates” club given in a month shows how it is peculiar and civil. In answer to the question whether Ter-Petrosyan is a powerful competitor, G. Sahakyan said: “Certainly, he is much more powerful than David Hakobyan”.
RPA faction secretary Samvel Nikoyan said in the interview to “Hayots Ashkarh” on August 31: “We have never slandered outr political oppositionists, have never cursed the First President. It is not our tactic. Finally Levon Ter-Petrosyan is the First President of our country who deserves respects both personally and officially.”
Let’s note that the only RPA member who didn’t change his remarks after Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s return into active policy and didn’t slander him was RPA faction parliamentarian Hamlet Harutiunyan who said to “Hayots Ashkharh” on September 4: “Levon Ter-Petrosyan is the First President of Armenia, is a man of science, a respectable intellectual” and said to “Hayots Ashkarh” on September 29: “I deeply respect all state attributes. Including the status of the first president. In generally, everybody should respect state symbols”.