“The tepid atmosphere that Serzh Sargsyan was complaining about will persist regardless of some replacements of the staff, as with the appointment of Hovik Abrahamyan, the reasons of this tepid atmosphere are not vanished but reproduced”, so responded the expert of the “Center for Political and International Studies” Ruben Mehrabyan to the question of Aravot.am of whether Hovik Abrahamyan’s appointment as Prime Minister was a right move.
Vice-President of “Heritage” party Armen Martirosyan expressed his opinion about Hovik Abrahamyan’s appointment as Prime Minister, “through Hovik Abrahamyan, they will try to tie up PAP’s hands and feet” http.//www.aravot.am/2014/04/14/450831/. In this respect, Mr. Mehrabyan noted, “When were the hands of PAP untied to be tied up now? I do not view the question as such. I understand that we are dealing with a system that is not homogeneous, there are groups of different influence, and these groups have carried out an in-system struggle to lose the leverage of influence and to acquire the new ones. Therefore, to remove the in-system tensions, a compromise figure was brought to arena in the face of Hovik Abrahamyan. The matter here is that simply a consensus was temporarily reached within the system, certain rules of the game”.
To the question of Aravot.am of whether Hovik Abrahamyan’s in-law-relative ties with Gagik Tsarukyan will not bind him to conduct a staff policy freely as Mr. Sharmazanov was assuring, Mr. Mehrabyan responded, “They will not bind, moreover, they may even guide the new staff policy. And it will be in favor of the system. The system is employing a new mechanism for hiring own people to work. Relatively a fair path is chosen to that end, since Hovik Abrahamyan constitutes a part of the system from head to toes.”
Referring to Hovik Abrahamyan’s in-law-relative ties and possible constraints, Armen Martirosyan said the following, “His in-law-relative ties have nothing to do here. He is the best representative of the system; he is one of the best masters in fabricating the elections, regulating inter-clan relations. And he is coming to reinforce the power. Should he come for us?”
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Often, people speak about ARF’s and PAP’s entering the coalition, and about the risk of “giving a crack” to the Quartet in this context. Armen Martirosyan responds to this risks, “For ARF, it would be better to wait a little. PAP does not enter a coalition, there was a clear statement about it. The Quartet should continue operating and do so that the government program is not approved, and it results in extraordinary parliamentary elections. If our partners continue struggling, it will be easy, otherwise, problems will arise.”
Ruben Mehrabyan thinks, “the title opposition drove itself to a deadlock, and even the attempt that they were trying to unite based on the requirement of the government’s resignation, we saw that the authorities made senseless with progressive steps. And, now they need to think of something new. I do not rule out anything, I just think that regardless of ARF will enter a coalition or not, nothing will change.”
Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
