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Oskanian Calls For 'Change,' Denies Pushing Kocharian Agenda

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  • Oskanian Calls For 'Change,' Denies Pushing Kocharian Agenda

    OSKANIAN CALLS FOR 'CHANGE,' DENIES PUSHING KOCHARIAN AGENDA
    Irina Hovhannisyan

    http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article/24490501.html
    20.02.2012

    Armenia - Former Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian is interviewed by
    RFE/RL's Armenian service in Yerevan, 18Feb2012.xArmenia - Former
    Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian is interviewed by RFE/RL's Armenian
    service in Yerevan, 18Feb2012.

    Former Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian insisted over the weekend
    that former President Robert Kocharian was not behind his decision to
    join the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) and thus enter the unfolding
    parliamentary race.

    Oskanian also said that President Serzh Sarkisian and his Republican
    Party of Armenia (HHK) will lose their majority in parliament if
    the parliamentary elections slated for May are free and fair. "I am
    convinced that if we have normal, fair elections, the situation in the
    parliament will definitely change," he told RFE/RL's Armenian service
    (Azatutyun.am) in an interview.

    "In the existing severe socioeconomic situation -- and naturally the
    ruling party is mainly responsible for that because it controls the
    government and has such results -- I think it's not quite realistic
    to expect that the people of Armenia will want the same government
    or party to continue to govern them," he said. "In my view, that's
    simply impossible."

    "The people want change. The question is which political forces can
    present a convincing alternative to the people."

    Oskanian announced his decision to return to the political arena by
    joining the BHK, the HHK's main partner in the ruling coalition, in
    a statement issued last Tuesday. The move fuelled more speculation
    that Kocharian is keen to pave the way for his own political comeback.

    Oskanian served as foreign minister while BHK leader Gagik
    Tsarukian became one of Armenia's wealthiest businessmen during the
    ex-president's 1998-2008 tenure.

    "I made my decision on my own ... and Kocharian had no part in this,"
    insisted Oskanian. "Our people probably know Kocharian well. I don't
    think he would hide behind anybody's back ... If Kocharian decides
    to return to politics I think he won't need anybody."

    The former minister, who was a U.S. citizen until 1998, did
    acknowledge, though, that he keeps in touch with Kocharian. "In the
    last four years we have periodically met, talked about the country's
    problems and analyzed the situation," he said. "And I will continue
    meeting him. But we haven't devised any programs together."

    Membership in the BHK, continued Oskanian, is simply "the most
    effective way of returning to politics." He described Tsarukian's
    party, which has four ministerial portfolios in the Sarkisian
    government, as a "platform uniting individuals interested in Armenia's
    development."

    Oskanian further claimed that he is not primarily motivated by a desire
    to regain a high-level position in government. "The main objective of
    my joining Prosperous Armenia is to contribute to the party's success
    and try to change the situation in the parliament by means of free
    and fair elections," he said, adding that the election outcome will
    determine his "role in further developments."

    Senior HHK figures have already made clear that the presidential
    party intends to retain its solid majority in the National Assembly.

    Opposition leaders portray such statements as a clear indication that
    the authorities are not serious about their pledges to ensure the
    proper conduct of the vote. Oskanian chided the HHK late last month
    for "the utilization of administrative resources this early in the
    pre-electoral period."

    The Syrian-born politician sounded more upbeat about the election
    conduct in the RFE/RL interview. "I am optimistic or I want to be
    optimistic that there will be fewer vote irregularities this time
    around," he said.

    In a joint declaration signed in February 2011, Sarkisian and Tsarukian
    said their parties will not "strive to increase their political weight
    through contesting against each other or changing correlation of forces
    within the [governing] Coalition" in the 2012 elections. The two men
    last week reportedly agreed to contest the polls in "an atmosphere
    of mutual tolerance."

    Still, Oskanian spoke of "real competition" between the HHK and the
    BHK. "Each side will be guided by its own interests and will not cede
    its positions," he said.



    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
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