Nikol Pashinyan formerly urged “it’s enough of Gagization,” now he closely cooperates with the PAP. During a conversation with www.aravot.am, we inquired from Aram Karapetyan, the leader of the New Times Party (NTP), whether there were controversies between these two. According to Mr. Karapetyan’s assessment, it is a paradox, “Of course, there is a controversy. I avoid expressing such personal opinions, but that opinion was too personal. At that time, that opinion was convenient and now this opinion is convenient.”
In response to our question what had made the Armenian National Congress (ANC) cooperate with the PAP, whether it had been benefits, Mr. Karapetyan said that the ANC, going against its principles, pursued political benefits, “My opinion is that the ANC, being in a financially and politically very bad condition, most probably found a way and chose to struggle along with a certain political force, moreover, to be able to ostensibly separate that force from the coalition and clean it of Robert Kocharyan’s sponsorship and make it follow them. It is a utopia as an idea.”
In response to questions whether the PAP wouldn’t be cleaned, whether Robert Kocharyan’s mark would remain on it, according to him, Mr. Karapetyan said, “I don’t see any way or manner that the PAP will become so adherent to ideas and of a new type politically to make a decision, to say that we are getting rid of this one, this is not right, to reject the offices. Now Vartan Oskanian tries to explain that political decisions are made given political circumstances, they tell that man you have done everything correctly, you have done the right thing, but look it is not nice, anyway. That person tries to explain as a white crow inside the PAP that policy is carried out by political methods. He tries to explain to the team the underlying facts. Everyone listens and says, ‘and tomorrow what, what if tax officer comes to us?’ Not only Gagik Tsarukyan, but his whole team is not ready for that. Now we will see, if it is ready, it will state that ‘we are strictly opposition, we are a constructive opposition and we will not participate in any coalition. Dear folks, as we told you during the election campaign, we have won your votes, we will be the opposition, when they submit a bad law on small and medium enterprises, we will struggle even through resigning offices.’ When we hear such a statement, we will think that everyone in the Prosperous Armenia Party has believed Vartan Oskanian and has changed.”
Hripsime JEBEJYAN
