“I am more inclined to think that there will be deals, nonetheless, and Raffi has sent such messages to the government,” Vigen Hakobyan, a political technologist, said during a conversation with www.aravot.am while talking about the probable scenarios of internal political developments. Then he went into detail: “After any election when the opposition wins a certain percentage and states that the election was rigged, there are two main scenarios. They take to the streets, the political struggle enters the street phase, or accept the results, saving face to a certain extent, so to say, and unite the remaining part of opposition. It seems Raffi has stated at this stage that he is taking to the streets. Certainly, in a completely Raffi manner; a bit vague, a bit unclear.” We inquired of the political technologist whether probable deals could be on an office. He replied: “They can be on that too. I don’t think that Serzh Sargsyan who is almost officially declared president will just hand over power to Raffi, given his idealistic aims. They will try to make deals on certain things. I don’t think on a concrete office, but on the future. There will be other elections in Armenia, for example, a mayoral election. I don’t see any resources in the street to solve serious issues. Raffi has another problem; although he has won 37 percent, it doesn’t mean that other oppositionists accept his leadership. They are not sure that Raffi is the one who, using the opposition rhetoric, will fight to the finish. They are suspicious. It is one thing to win 37 percent; it is another to turn it into political capital. Raffi himself is confused by that percentage and doesn’t know what to turn it into.” When asked whether rearrangements in the opposition camp were possible political technologist Karen Kocharyan, in his turn, stated: “A rearrangement has already taken place. However much we say that this 36 percent is not Raffi Hovhannisyan’s, the fact is that it was cast for him. The same complainers could have cast their votes for the other candidates, but they have cast them for Raffi Hovhannisyan.” Talking about the reasons for the current situation, the political technologist asserted: “The reason is that the government doesn’t want to take note of two global problems. It is the terrible and abnormal social injustice when no one is equal before the law, government representatives, in particular. When those problems are solved such problems will not arise. The president himself has to solve the issue of equality before the law. When they say that Serzh Sargsyan stops at a red light I say that it is not enough; oligarchs, heads of departments should also stop, they should not break jaws or talk about that. When those problems are solved the other problems will immediately be solved too.”
Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
