ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES AIM AT HAVING MANAGEABLE PRO-WESTERN OPPOSITION, POLITICAL TECHNOLOGIST SAYS
YEREVAN, March 4. /ARKA/. Armenia's authorities want to form
a manageable pro-Western opposition in the country, political
technologist and analyst Vigen Hakobyan said, as cited by
Novosti-Armenia.
Armenia is located within the area of Russian interests and is
Russia's strategic ally, he said. The current pro-Russian government
is trying to keep its monopoly and feels threatened by any pro-Russian
opposition, Hakobyan said.
It is not by chance at all that the pro-Russian opposition has been
attacked most severely, the expert said on the air, on Sputnik-Armenia
radio channel.
According to Hakobyan, if a pro-Western opposition is formed in
the country, it will indicate democratic processes and provide good
chances for maintaining relations with the West at the same time.
Hakobyan said the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) was the most powerful
political force in the opposition, and the political field is cleared
after PAP has weakened.
Levon Ter-Petrosyan (the first president of Armenia and leader of the
opposition Armenian National Congress - Novosti-Armenia) is trying
to create an image of the only opposition figure, but the chances are
vague after PAP's failure, he said. Revival of Orinats Yerkir is not
probable either, the expert said.
Speaking on February 12 at a meeting of the ruling Republican Party
of Armenia, president Serzh Sargsyan criticized harshly the leader of
Prosperous Armenia party tycoon Gagik Tsarukian and said Tsarukian,
as a political actor, is an evil for the country. The president signed
a decree withdrawing Tsarukian from the national security council
due to his systematic failure to attend the council meetings. The
president also instructed to look into cases of the tycoon's absence
in the parliament sessions and the rumors about his tax evasion.
The leader of the Prosperous Armenia, in turn, said the reason for the
president's statements is his refusal to contribute to the reproduction
of the political power through a constitutional reform.
In particular, the tycoon said he refused to become a president
after the country turns to parliamentary form through constitutional
amendments.
PAP was going to hold a rally on February 20, together with two other
opposition parties, Armenian national Congress and the Heritage, but
cancelled the rally later. PAP leader Gagik Tsarukian urged people to
solve problems only through peaceful, legal and political means. -0--
http://arka.am/en/news/politics/armenian_authorities_aim_at_having_manageable_pro_ western_opposition_political_technologist_says/#sthash.BWBS4IxG.dpuf
From: A. Papazian
YEREVAN, March 4. /ARKA/. Armenia's authorities want to form
a manageable pro-Western opposition in the country, political
technologist and analyst Vigen Hakobyan said, as cited by
Novosti-Armenia.
Armenia is located within the area of Russian interests and is
Russia's strategic ally, he said. The current pro-Russian government
is trying to keep its monopoly and feels threatened by any pro-Russian
opposition, Hakobyan said.
It is not by chance at all that the pro-Russian opposition has been
attacked most severely, the expert said on the air, on Sputnik-Armenia
radio channel.
According to Hakobyan, if a pro-Western opposition is formed in
the country, it will indicate democratic processes and provide good
chances for maintaining relations with the West at the same time.
Hakobyan said the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) was the most powerful
political force in the opposition, and the political field is cleared
after PAP has weakened.
Levon Ter-Petrosyan (the first president of Armenia and leader of the
opposition Armenian National Congress - Novosti-Armenia) is trying
to create an image of the only opposition figure, but the chances are
vague after PAP's failure, he said. Revival of Orinats Yerkir is not
probable either, the expert said.
Speaking on February 12 at a meeting of the ruling Republican Party
of Armenia, president Serzh Sargsyan criticized harshly the leader of
Prosperous Armenia party tycoon Gagik Tsarukian and said Tsarukian,
as a political actor, is an evil for the country. The president signed
a decree withdrawing Tsarukian from the national security council
due to his systematic failure to attend the council meetings. The
president also instructed to look into cases of the tycoon's absence
in the parliament sessions and the rumors about his tax evasion.
The leader of the Prosperous Armenia, in turn, said the reason for the
president's statements is his refusal to contribute to the reproduction
of the political power through a constitutional reform.
In particular, the tycoon said he refused to become a president
after the country turns to parliamentary form through constitutional
amendments.
PAP was going to hold a rally on February 20, together with two other
opposition parties, Armenian national Congress and the Heritage, but
cancelled the rally later. PAP leader Gagik Tsarukian urged people to
solve problems only through peaceful, legal and political means. -0--
http://arka.am/en/news/politics/armenian_authorities_aim_at_having_manageable_pro_ western_opposition_political_technologist_says/#sthash.BWBS4IxG.dpuf
From: A. Papazian