We have a presidential election ahead of us and www.aravot.am inquired of Manvel Ghazaryan, a former MP and the owner of Vedi Alco, whom he saw as the most probable winning candidate. Manvel Ghazaryan replied that he unambiguously saw incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan as such. We asked to clarify whether it was merely in terms of chances or his personal liking. Mr. Ghazaryan replied, “Both chances and my liking.”
Let us remind that Manvel Ghazaryan was one of the unique MPs who signed the Document of 7 on joining the National Movement in February 2008 and then didn’t take back his signature. Therefore, in response to our observation he had stood by the Armenian National Congres (ANC) and Levon Ter-Petrossian at the time, Mr. Ghazaryan corrected, “No, I was a Yerkrapah. I was one of those who signed the Document of 7, but the Document of 7 didn’t read anything about that. The Document of 7 read, ‘People, we are with you.’ That document read exactly that. We were with the people, we told the people not to worry, since we were with them.” In response to our question whether he hadn’t stood by Levon Ter-Petrossian, Mr. Ghazaryan denied it, “No. No such thing was written or stated. We were with the people; we said only one sentence, that’s it. They told me to come and read, ‘People, we are with you.’ It is what was read.”
He assured that he had had no connection with the PANM, “I was a Yerkrapah. On the contrary. Vazgen Sargsyan would always tell us not to interfere in politics, not to join any party; in a nutshell, it was not our place. The Yerkrapah should remain a Yerkrapah.”
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In response to our observation that the Union of Yerkrapah Volunteers (UYV) had been in politics since Ter-Petrossian’s years in office, Mr. Ghazaryan said, “It was because of the leadership. All the fighters of the UYV would take the path chosen by their commander.”
We inquired of Mr. Ghazaryan how he treated those of his friends who had signed the Document of 7 and then took back those signatures. Mr. Ghazaryan replied, “I treat them very badly. One mustn’t say something like that. If they say so, it is their problem.” Let us remind that General Seyran Saroyan, Manvel Grigoryan’s nephew, Hrant Grigoryan, were those who renounced that statement.
Hripsime JEBEJYAN
