With regard to what outcome the series of consultations with political forces initiated by the PAP would have, Aram Sargsyan, the leader of the Republic Party, made the following prediction during a conversation with www.aravot.am, “There are many options, which may take place after consultations. For example, knowing Serzh Sargsyan, being aware of the similarities between the PAP and the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), I don’t rule out that after these consultations, Serzh Sargsyan will state that since forces represented in the National Assembly have put forward such an idea, and he is also the leader of the parties that expressed that idea, he is the head of state, although he is against it, he promises that if he is elected, after the election, he will hold a referendum on that issue. And he will be the guarantor that those people who are against changing the presidential system of government can say nay and those who are for say yea. In my opinion, this will be enough for the PAP to state that Serzh Sargsyan has met its demand, and it will endorse Serzh Sargsyan. It will satisfy the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) too. They are ideological people, they will be glad that their idea was heard and will go on as they did after the 2007 parliamentary election, as they did in 2003, endorsing Robert Kocharyan. At the end of the day, political forces that are responsible for the current situation, it is not right to leave that responsibility on paper, the Constitution. That book has its meaning too.” In response to our question what problem the Armenian National Congress (ANC) would solve, according to him, by consulting and cooperating with the PAP, Aram Sargsyan said: “You know, politics is the art of consultation. It is desirable to engage in politics without confrontations and try to convince every force. I wouldn’t like to comment on the approach of the ANC. I expressed my approach to the ANC at the time. I see solutions in those processes, but I wouldn’t like to talk about that, because they will say afterwards, ‘They were against, they impeded’ etc. Let them try. Let them take their time. Let them try.” Aram Sargsyan himself is for a presidential system of government: “The situation in the country after the events of October 27 was very difficult, and I became the Prime Minister in that situation. I can say that the semi-presidential system has proved to be good. I, as a man, as an individual, think that the fully presidential system is better for Armenia. And I don’t think that a change in mechanisms of governance will solve vicious phenomena in Armenia. It is not so.”
Hripsime JEBEJYAN
