Today, during the parliamentary briefings, the journalists informed the leader of oppositional “Yelq” bloc, Nikol Pashinyan that the meeting of their bloc members with the presidential candidate suggested by the ruling Republican Party of Armenia, Armen Sargsyan, was criticized, particularly the hugging scene was interesting. Mr. Pashinyan explained: “Armen Sargsyan, seeing Aram Sargsyan, hugged him, inasmuch as they have been friends of 20 and more years, moreover, with families. And it has no connection with the political relations. What other photographs there were?”
Asked whether it is possible for Armen Sargsyan to change anything in our country, where all laws are “sawn” for the future PM, current President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan, in particular, about which Armen Ashotyan announced yesterday on Armenian service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) “Azatutyun” radio station, Mr. Pashinyan replied: “The liabilities of the president are ceremonial. As regards Armen Sargsyan, he makes announcements which can be elucidated as his refusal to be a marionette in the president’s position. Such highlights have been made also during the meeting with us. And how the reality will look like, we will live and see. Our positioning has not changed, everything has been announced.”
To the question: “You say that all levers appear in the hands of the future PM, it is concerning, but during the Constitutional changes your party was announcing that that change is a fake agenda and, in essence, you did not fight, neither you were included in the discussions, was this scenario not expected to you?”, Mr. Pashinyan answered: “Assuredly the scenario was predicted. Whatever I was saying about the Constitution then, I am saying now as well. If you make a reference to the texts of 2-3 years before, it would be good to get acquainted with their content. I was saying Serzh Sargsyan’s reproduction does not depend on the Constitution, it depends on the fact of how many citizens of the Republic of Armenia allow him to be reproduced. I say the same thing today. Give me any given text of the Constitution where the biggest powers are given to whoever and from the other side there are hundreds of thousands of citizens of the Republic of Armenia who do not say no to that process envisaged, and I will prove the thesis brought forth in 2015. You can even open my speeches and look through them. I have said – yes, the issue of Serzh Sargsyan’s reproduction is in place, but the issue of that reproduction is not solved now, it will be solved in April 2018, how many citizens there are who are ready to fight against that reproduction? Everything depends on this. When we find out how many citizens of the Republic of Armenia there are who are ready to fight against him, everything falls into its place then.”
Mr. Pashinyan said that Serzh Sargsyan has announced he does not claim for the position and the sector of the society which has believed in the 2014’s announcement, now the situation has changed. Also, the situation has changed in the context of the parliamentary elections, in his opinion.
Hripsime JEBEJYAN
