“In 2012, certain political situation was established in our country, which I would assess in short, a consensus of significant civil part of some political force around the EU Association process. The Resolution of the European Parliament dated April 18, 2012 testifies about the existence of this consensus, which states that there is such a consensus in Armenia. At the same time, there is an issue that our community was not informed, the EU Association for Armenia assumes specific political conditions, which were spelled out in my referred Resolution, which essentially meant that through concessions to Azerbaijan and Turkey, with comparing Iran’s foreign policy with Armenia’s European, and overall EU policy, through the adoption of such requirements, Armenia was obtaining the chance of having a great financial support to create the EU Free Trade Area, and in fact, the public was unaware about it. And this consensus, which was formed around political parties, this Euro-integration resolution, actually assumed that an attempt is made to make a deal behind the people’s back. Under such conditions, there was a situation, which I would assess as an arrangement of all forces around one political program, which became the main reason why no one at the 2013 presidential election took the trouble to present an alternative program, no one took the trouble to show that there is another program”, – expressed his opinion Andreas Ghukasyan, nominating his candidacy for the presidential elections, in the conversation with Aravot.am, referring to the presidential election held last year. He is convinced that Armenia has two ways: either through concessions join the European families, or try to find an independent national development path. According to him, the third version of living in co-operation with Russia, is not a development path, it just shows that there is no will in our people to move forward. “This understanding about the political system layouts urged me to act in the elections with a specific platform. I think that such kinds of issues that concern people’s fate should be resolved through free elections. Therefore, I set forth the most important issue in front of me: to raise the issue of free election in our country as a key issue. And my participation in the elections, in fact, was a move against Serzh Sargsyan’s nomination, because I could see that all other forces are in large taking part in the elections not to oppose Serzh Sargsyan, rather than trying to solve their own problems, whereas, it was an important period for the people. I realized that it was necessary to oppose these elections with no alternative, and naturally, to set forth a task that the elections should be democratic and free, and parties distributing bribes should not participate in the elections. ” Andreas Ghukasyan assess the election results as follows, “I could see that the Republican Party was trying to solve 5 issues in this election. First, to get a positive assessment by international observers, secondly, as a result of elections, to forget about the necessity of investigation of policy actions related to March 1, thirdly, to obtain legitimacy for the government formed on May 2012, fourth, to open a road to receive financial assistance from the West, and fifth, to create a new opposition center in the field of opposition, an image, which would move Levon Ter-Petrosyan back.” Andreas Ghukasyan said that if we compare what the Republican Party achieved as a result of elections, we can see that none of these problems are resolved, the observers’ assessment is worth only for use within the country, the requirement of the investigation for police actions continues to be relevant in the political system, current government’s being corrupted is clear to the whole world, and it is natural that there should be no word about financial assistance from the West, and they could not establish a new artificial opposition center in the field of opposition. “I think that all the tasks directed to RPA fail. Today, there is a crisis in the ruling regime among the oligarchs, because the political system that was established in 2012 is obviously not in conformity with political reality.
We have the Republican Party, which is a member of the family of the European People’s Party, but it makes moves with Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, in other words, to join another block and establish a common economic, military and spiritual area, there is an obvious contradiction. The other party, Prosperous Armenia, which as an ex-officio is the strategic partner of “United Russia” part in Armenia, anyway, it acts against RF interests in energy-related issues. In short, this political system, which was created in 2012 for this scenario does not correspond to reality, and Serzh Sargsyan has the task to change it, and since the MPs and ministers have already paid for their positions and mandates, naturally, no one wants to go for change, and a new contrast is developed. To salvage usurpation of his power, Serzh Sargsyan should either destroy the criminal-oligarchic system established with his hands before 2012, or this system will throw Serzh Sargsyan away as a figure who has lost his topicality. I consider this situation in Armenia as a process that leads to change and crisis of management.” Andreas Ghukasyan added that he gives much importance to the revolution in Armenia, because people need to become owners of the state and, eventually, establish democratic governance grounds. He considers that the election and post-election processes are developing in the directions, which he and his colleagues predicted a year ago.
Eva HAKOBYAN
