Styopa Safaryan opines that we will have only groupings cooperating with each other
“Frankly speaking, I do not know whether there will be individuals or groups that will be included in this process, but it is important that they trust each other rather than being only nominal. After all, a lot depends on the initiator: the format and who there are. There are many contradictions in the Liberal wing: interpersonal, lack of confidence, previously made mistakes, errors…,” says Director of the Institute for International and Security Affairs, Styopa Safaryan, in an interview with “Aravot”, referring to NA MP Hrant Bagratyan’s intention to a number form a coalition with a number of opposition forces. Styopa Safaryan noted that today, in our reality, there are many social groupings, active members who would not like to be identified with the existing political forces. There is a lack of confidence. “Thus, I think that we are still in short of one significant player. I see the sign, I see that there is an empty niche that can solve my mentioned problem,” says Mr. Safaryan.
There are grouped political forces in our realist outside the parliament. Speaking about one of them – “New Armenia” – Mr. Safaryan said, It is still a question whether the “New Armenia” will participate in the elections or not because the “Founding Parliament” is included in the “New Armenia”, which radically rejects participation in the elections. If some of the political forces from the membership of New Armenia, however, decide to participate in the 2017 election campaign, I think there will be already a problem inside and, of course, the “Founding Parliament” will not change its attitude. Speaking of another newly formed extra-parliamentary force, Nikol Pashinyan’s “Civil Agreement”, Mr. Safaryan points out their steps. They have decided to have a party list. “The list may include people from other parties but it is not going to be a party alliance, and it was clear. “Heritage” also formed an alliance in 2012, which de facto was an alliance but with a party list,” says Mr. Safaryan, adding, – Currently, it is also outlined the merging of “The Rebirth” and Ara Abrahamyan, in other words, we have big players, which will be new and as a result of the federation with other unions, they will have more chances in the future. There is also “Bright Armenia”, it is not clear whether they are planning to form an alliance but I think that they will be like Nikol Pashinyan’s “Civil Agreement.” We will have some political processes.”
To our observation that in the newly formed forces, however, there are old faces, and there is fear in society of being disappointed, Mr. Safaryan replied, “These risks do exists, there are also opportunities for both the old ones and the new ones but there will be no united opposition alliance, I’m sure for it. We will have groupings cooperating with each other, it would sound strange, more competing with each other than with the government.” Referring to the ruling coalition – ARF and RPA “reunion”, Styopa Safaryan says that the Republican party operates correctly in terms of technology. “It’s better to pay a lower price now for the alliance rather than they will enter into various blackmail games and the prices will go up.
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In addition, the discussion of the Electoral Code is underway, the Republican party now outlines its vision about the formation of the future parliament, they need to understand now who will be there, – says Mr. Safaryan and notes that he indeed have forgotten the score how many times ARF has entered into a coalition and withdrawn, – and it’s not an irony, indeed, if you ask me how many, I cannot say. The splitting of the government, be it between the governmental or non-governmental forces, as a model, will not be deplorable. It’s another matter that in our country, all this becomes a pure bargaining of positions. At least, the previous experiments have shown that the whole question is that the one who enters the coalition has never agreed on the rules of the game but has agrees on distribution of positions: this is to me, that is to you. As a result, Republican party’s rule of the game was adopted – to implement Serzh Sargsyan’s, the Republican Party program. Later, due to some circumstances, they resented, offended, withdrawn or referred to the opposition, at that time they began to make excuses. But the fact remains that they have accepted the rules of the game by entering the coalition. If it were the same mechanisms now, it is going to be the same completion.”
Hripsime HOVHANNISYAN
“Aravot” daily
