Khachik Manukyan, a Republican member of the National Assembly is convinced that parliament needs businessmen
– There is not much time left till the election and it seems there is tension. According to some assessments, we are in political crisis. In your opinion is there a crisis?
– Who understands politics or who is engaged in politics, understands quite clearly that the parliamentary election will be held in the short-run and they become more active – that activity makes certain impression that there are some critical issues. In reality, there is no such thing everything goes as usual and will reach its logical end. Certainly, one should prepare now – they solve problems etc.
– Do you share the notion that we depend onRussiaand political developments there are rather influential here?
– I think it is not a surprise that United Russia won the election, it was bound to happen. The issue here is to establish respectable relations not only withRussia, but also with other influential countries – certainly, we are for harmonious relations withRussiaand the relations with that country have always been very clear and it is not casual that our relations are active today too. I have just returned fromGeorgiaand people there also think that traditional relations should not be broken off. Our advantage is that we try to present ourselves properly to everyone, everyone understands who we are and we never take steps at the expense of our dignity. Our policy is shaped in that spirit and we do it very well.
– Will you propose yourself, as an MP candidate, for the election based on the majority rule and what do you think of a notion that businessmen should not enter the parliament?
– You know, there is a law and there are limits for people who own business and operate that business. Some people say that businessman enters the National Assembly for his own interest to put forward and adopt the bills he wants. I assure you I haven’t noticed a businessman doing such thing in his own interest. I agree with the approach that when the proportional lists of parties are formed, no problem, there can be no businessman on those lists, but people who are just professionals, lawyers, economists, ideologists. And any man can propose his candidacy, any man can win or lose. The voter is the people and one cannot limit businessman’s right. Man decides for himself and if he has business, hands it over to the government after being elected etc., i.e. he follows the demands of the law. People doing business, people who are experienced in business are people of this reality, people who are more experienced in economic and political field, people who have worked more actively and with clearer aims. Businessmen have emerged after 1990s and who are those people – they are people who earn a few times more than ordinary people, people who take a few times more risks etc., I want to say that people have achieved something not randomly, but thanks to their work. We have seen many random people, they have come and left, they were not even remembered. I don’t think it is right to neglect today’s businessman.
– Will the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) and the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) continue their common road to the parliamentary election or will they divide?
– One can rule out nothing, but both PAP and RPA are members of the coalition and are in the National Assembly and in the cabinet and work together. I don’t think they will divide. The ideology and the goal of both is the same, a bit modified, but the same. If there are problems, those can be solved around a small table. Generally I haven’t noticed serious controversies, there are no serious controversies, no ideological controversies and we all know that these forces have been united for the past 4 years. There are people who don’t think of this, because it is not in their interest, there are people who feel bad, seeing that PAP and RPA are close, they try to intrigue, raise tensions. But if there is tension, who will gain, others, those for whom that tension is advantageous.
Interviewed MARAGARIT YESAYAN
