This was the answer given by Lyudmila Sargsyan, an ANC MP, today to a question of www.aravot.am whether she also didn’t know why the Republic Party and the Liberal Party of Armenia had withdrawn from the ANC, whether there was something unclear or was not included in the statement they had made. Let us remind that Gagik Jhangiryan said that he would be happy if Aram Zavenich said the real reason for his withdrawal from the ANC. Lyudmila Sargsyan replied, “Everything will be clear in September-October. Aram Zaven Sargsyan also shares Davit Shahnazaryan’s opinion in terms of the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP). I don’t rule out that there might have been another reason, but it is the only reason we know.”
We tried to get clarification whether she meant that in September, in the run-up to the presidential election, Aram Sargsyan would surprise us, Ms. Sargsyan replied, “No, no, I am not saying that, everything on the political stage in terms of political forces will be clear, perhaps, if there are other reasons too, it will be more visible.”
In response to our observation that Petros Makeyan, the leader of the Democratic Motherland Party, was also against cooperation between the PAP and the ANC, Mikayel Hayrapetyan, the leader of the Conservative Party of Armenia, only enjoyed the status of an observer and had said that he would not be surprised, if the ANC started a dialogue with the Rule of Law Party (RLP) one day, so, although there were 18 parties in the ANC, the pivotal figures were leaving it, everyone had serious contradictions, Ms. Sargsyan said, “It is normal, you know, to have different approaches. I think that both Mikayel Hayrapetyan and Petros Makeyan understand quite well that our value is our unity. Our strength is our unity and I think that understanding that, they continue their struggle, regardless of their approaches. The common opinion becomes dominant and they continue their struggle along with us, I think it is normal. There is no political force, particularly, consisting of 18 parties, that has retained its role on the political stage and has maintained the number of its members for 4 years in a row. It is almost absurd. I don’t doubt anyone’s honesty, I don’t want to doubt
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anyone’s goals, and I think that all the same, we will continue the struggle together. At least I expect that we will continue struggling with both Aram Sargsyan and Davit Shahnazaryan. We have travelled a 4-5-year road with them as a political force and that road cannot be erased in any way.”
In response to our observation that at the end of the day, those who had left the ANC were not secondary people, they were pivotal figures of the ANC who were leaving the Congress because of those contradictions, Lyudmila Sargsyan said, “It doesn’t matter. The ANC doesn’t become weaker; I expect that there will be other units that will join the ANC in September. A rather big part of the public sector favors the ANC and I don’t rule out that they will also realize and when there is a common candidate and if it is Levon Ter-Petrossian, I think all the political forces and all the people that have withdrawn from the ANC will, nonetheless, endorse Levon Ter-Petrossian. I expect that.”
Hripsime JEBEJYAN
