Razmik Zohrabyan, the deputy chairman of the Republican Party of Armenia, explains the philosophy of elections
– In the pre-election period, everybody’s attention is drawn to what list a party will make, with whom and how it will participate in the election. The answers to these questions are not clear yet. It is not clear whether party congresses will give answers to those questions either. How will it be with the RPA, will you reveal both the program and the list during the congress?
– The regular congress of the RPA is the thirteenth. You know that the congress discusses organizational issues, the strategy for the two upcoming years, elects the executive body, the executive president and forms the council. Certainly, the congress is the focus of attention, because it will be convened in the run-up to the election. We are preparing for the congress and will appear before the society with our programs, our future doings and in our persons. Everyone is examined thoroughly particularly in this period, certainly, the programs too, but at the end of the day, importance is attached to the personalities who will implement those programs and those who will present those programs and to their image. And we treat these issues seriously.
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– Will there be persons on the party list who will seem unexpected?
– The list is not determined yet, it is under discussion. We will combine the party list with the congress and everything will be officially said – officially speaking is the right thing to do, because if one has named a few people before that, everything gets mixed up.
– Very interesting, even warm and kind relations between the Republican Party and the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) can be noticed at the moment and most probably what happened before that included some elements of political bargaining. It seems the matter is settled and you will participate in the election in consent, can one assume such thing?
– Yes, the latest coalition meeting and the latest statement is on the fact that we are participating in the election with separate lists and in a civilized manner. Since it is an election, it cannot be predicted to the last percent and some controversies may arouse, but the coalition has basically come to an agreement to take part in the election in a civilized manner.
– The fact that former foreign minister Vartan Oskanian has decided to become a member of the PAP has become one of the topics discussed on the political stage lately. I think this membership was not unexpected and they have talked about it for a long time. There are two viewpoints: first, Oskanian’s membership to the PAP has nothing to do with Robert Kocharyan, which I personally don’t believe; second, since there are few outstanding politicians in the PAP – there are mostly oligarchs and businessmen – it seems that the PAP tries to become political and even geopolitical by Oskanian’s membership. What is your opinion on all this?
– Let’s talk turkey, shall we? You ask whether it has anything to do with Kocharian or not. Even I have something to do with Kocharian, let alone Oskanian. Because we have cooperated for 10 years, Kocharian was the president, Oskanian was the foreign minister and we were the Republican Party. Since Oskanian has considerable knowledge – he is a diplomat, foreign affairs, internal affairs – certainly he has appeared on the political stage and has chosen the PAP. I don’t see anything unusual in this – I think every politician can join this or that party; I just assess negatively politicians who change parties. However, Oskanian hasn’t been a member of any party and this is the first time. It is his and the PAP’s business.
– Since I have been reporting on political forces for many years, I have noticed that the opposition political forces are in a more advantageous position during the pre-election campaign, as they can criticize, curse, rebuke and put forward mistakes, because people always, at all times, are dissatisfied with the authorities. What will the Republican Party that has been in power for many years say to the society, how it will present itself, it is not a secret that a man who speaks against is more popular than the one who says that he hasn’t managed to do this, but he will etc. So, how will you organize the campaign?
– Your observations are correct, the opposition is in a more advantageous position in the pre-election period, because it can criticize what the establishment has done and what it hasn’t. Unlike the last decade, this time the Republican Party has made changes – we also criticize, we criticize ourselves. We have taken on a reform package and we have been implementing it in all areas. Do you remember letting them into Freedom Square – they can rally there as much as they like, there are no restrictions – the release of the people arrested after the events of March 1, some changes in the economy etc, and those will continue. We want our society to live better. We want to make reforms ourselves and we are willing to reach the European standards, in order that one doesn’t have serious social problems in our country. A process of full-scale reforms is under way; it is a continuous process and will be intensified after the election. Don’t forget that we are a conservative party and conservatives, when they see that the country and the people are under threat, do whatever they can to make the country stable and also compromise for the sake of preserving the state stability. We cooperate with the EU organizations, the Russian Federation, the West, everyone today, since we want Armenia’s economy to develop rapidly. We will protect the freedoms of our society in the first place and that is why the opposition itself is surprised that the Republican Party, using harsh measures for so many years, makes compromises now. We bear the responsibility for our state, our country and our people and advance.
– Whereas the opposition doesn’t seem surprised, it says you don’t do it well enough, let us come to power and do that.
– OK, let them come, there is a civilized way for that – one presents his programs, participates in the election and the society decides whether to accept him or not. For some reason, it seems to some people that they can deceive the society and it will vote for them – it is not like that. There is an internal demand and the society elects the one, for whom there is a demand. The society votes considering its condition – if there are saints in the lowest strata, there are saints in the highest strata too, if there are devils in the lowest strata, there are devils in the highest strata too. This is a philosophical concept and it works for the whole world. Therefore, they will not vote for the one who isn’t worth voting for.
Interviewed MARGARIT YESAYAN
