Naira Zohrabyan, the PAP parliamentary group secretary, commented on Gagik Tsarukyan’s statement during a conversation with www.zham.am and explained why they didn’t want to be opposition. “Yes, we will not be the opposition that has its ‘opposition’ activities verified by the government, yes, we will not be the opposition whose ‘opposition’ speeches are written in the notorious buildings. We are not going to be such opposition as Davit Shahnazaryan, Aram Sargsyan, Makeyan, Gimishyan and the likes of them. Yes, we will not be the opposition that can hold 10-people rallies at the most and make elevated speeches inadequate to them.” With regard to this criticism of him, Petros Makeyan, the leader of the Democratic Motherland Party, said during a conversation with www.aravot.am: “What comment shall I make on the statements of a representative that has no political values, because without money, that organization is just, say, castles on the road to Abovyan, Kotayk. In reality, they are neither opposition nor an alternative nor pro-government. Rather, they are the government’s servants. It has been a servant up to now. That party was established by Robert Kocharyan, and it continues to serve Kocharyan, the government, and external forces. Lukashenka’s presence at the opening of the church yesterday is proof of that. I said many times 2 years ago that this organization could not be independent, could not make independent decisions, and our main contradiction with the Congress was that. I have been opposition for 15-16 years. Now Naira Zohrabyan tries to twist my predictions and statements and besmirch people, so that they can carry out a bourgeois democratic revolution in the short run. That’s the whole story.”
Petros Makeyan stated that the people assessed a political force and a politician, but the people should be offered an opportunity to choose. “Unfortunately, our people are not offered an opportunity to choose. Money and administrative levers are in effect. If the government didn’t favor them, if there was no permission from the government, they would get 0 percent. If they don’t serve the government, why did they give out money? All the people know the reality. The Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) would give out 10 thousand drams, whereas they would add 5 or 10 thousand. Was it not the same thing during the city council election? Members of the RPA started with 10 thousand, the PAP raised. Nothing happens in this country without the government’s goodwill, let alone giving out
money, election bribes. It is a crime. The government takes the liberty of committing that crime and saying that it has done nothing. Therefore, this organization serves the government’s interests.”
Hripsime JEBEJYAN
