The interview of the President of Armenia Robert Kocharian with journalists from leading Armenian TV companies – Public TV, H2, Shant, Armenia was broadcast today – which was a major blow to the Presidential candidate, First President of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrossian’s authority with only two days to go before the Armenian voters head to the polling stations.
Speaking of the recent allegations by Ter-Petrossian, according to which Kocharian, Sargsyan and Oskanian have attempted to put into circulation a Karabakh resolution plan, which intended to give up Southern Armenian region of Meghry in exchange for Karabakh independence, Kocharian effectively denied all charges brought against him and Serzh Sargsyan by the First President, noting, that Meghry has a highly strategical importance for Armenia, as an access to the Iranian border, and reminding, that the gas pipelines built through Meghri, as well as government plans to build a hydropower station and oil refinary come as additional proof to his argument, that such a plan has never been officially discussed by the Official Yerevan, who have instead always worked towards strengthening the importance of Meghri region for the country.
In his accusation, Ter-Petrossian had also blamed the Kocharian/Sargsyan duo for masterminding the October 27, 1999 terrorist act in the Armenian parliament, connecting it with the failure to pass the above-mentioned plan to surrender Meghri. In response Kocharian reminded, that he had appointed Aram Sargsyan, brother of murdered Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsyan as the Prime Minister and had given him all the leverages for investigating the terrorist action. President Kocharian reminded, that Aram Sargsyan’s close friend – Boris Nazaryan was then appointed Prosecutor General, and Military Prosecutor Gagik Jahangiryan had been entrusted with the task of conducting the investigation. According to Kocharian, if anyone is the blame for not investigating the October 27 events properly – that should be Aram Sargsyan, then Prime Minister, who now is supporting Levon Ter-Petrossian.
Kocharian in his turn accused Levon Ter-Petrossian of hindering the efforts of Armenian forces to register greater progress in war with Azerbaijani forces back in 1993 and 1994. President Kocharian went further in his claims, portreying Ter-Petrossian as an undecisive President-Commander-in-Cheif, who did not have sufficiant beleif in victory. Kocharian allaged, that if Armenian armed forces headed by him and Sparapet Vazgen Sargsyan hadn’t countered such moods of President Ter-Petrossian, the Armenian side would have been the looser in Karabakh war.
At the end of the interview President Kocharian expressed once again his strong support for the Prime-Minister, Presidential candidate Serzh Sargsyan, noting, that only his election as President will make possible further progress in the country and improvement in the life of citizens, whearas in case of election of any other candidates there will be political standoff between the Praliamentary majority, who have control of government, and the newly elected President, who, having much less powers as a result of revisions to the Armenian Constitution in 2005, would find, that his campaign promises are impossible to implement. Needless to say, that despite there are no official studies of President Kocharian’s approval rate in the society, he seems to have a rather high rating – and this interview was undoubtedly a serious blow to Levon Ter-Petrossian’s campaign, which will possibly influence a great number of as yet undecided voters to make their choice against Levon Ter-Petrossian, if not in favor of Serzh Sargsyan.
Artur Papyan
Journalist, blogger, digital security and media consultant
19 Comments
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Did RK say anything about pulling ears, breaking heads or testicles, or was he more reserved? I haven’t had a chance to watch this
You can read some excerpts at a1+
http://a1plus.am/am/?page=issue&iid=57709 currently available only in Armenian.
What I can say is that Robert is full of crap and I bet his pants as well.
Let me explain:
In his speech he said that he will crash anything which will go against the constitution, in that case he had to shoot Serj Sargsian and then commit suicide in front of the TV cameras as according the constitution a) you can not run for a presidency when you are holding a state post (Serj is a PM while campaigning ) b)
you can not campaign for a candidate when you are holding a state post including military (Kocharian campaigned for Serj in this same televised speech he is the president and the chief of army). I am not even talking about other anti constitutional scheames that this duo were doing from 98.
This is just a good example that the current regime is illegal and is a dictatorship.
Coming to the Armenian forces, they didn’t advance because they were exhausted and we couldn’t continue the war. It had to be stopped. LTP was directly involved in making decisions during the war, as a prove today all the freedom fighters (who were the army during the war) stand next to him.
Let’s wait another 3 days and we will see what will happen.
Will Kocharian bring the army against the people? if he does he will end up like Chaushesku.
Just few more things.
in his speech Kocharian claims that all the power forces ( army, polic etc) are under his control. I doubt because a) if they were he wouldnt mention it so many times, b) they were never been at such crucial situations, he always relied on the Artsakh forces. This time I doubt the new Artsakh president Bako will send his forces to Armenia against Levon, the united opposition leaders, people who faught for his country and the people of RA.
I suppose the counter argument is that he issued a warning that there will be confrontation given that Ter-Petrossian is constantly coming up with absurd claims i.e. without evidence that the security services are on his side. By your logic, if that was the case, why does Ter-Petrossian mention it so many times?
Anyway, my gut reaction. This was never about a democratic election on Ter-Petrossian’s side. This was about staging an uprising. Now, on 20 February, I guess we’ll see who has the security services on their side.
But as both Ter-Petrossian and Sargsyan claim victory already with total cynical disregard for the democratic process, God help us all. This election sickened me long ago simply because it never was one. Really, God help us all and I can only hope it won’t end in bloodshed.
[…] The Armenian Observer reports that with two days to go before the 19 February presidential election in Armenia, the incumbent and outgoing president, Robert Kocharian, has responded to accusations made by his predecessor, Levon Ter-Petrossian, who already believes he has won next week’s vote. The interview of the President of Armenia Robert Kocharian with journalists from leading Armenian TV companies – Public TV, H2, Shant, Armenia was broadcast today – which was a major blow to the Presidential candidate, First President of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrossian’s authority with only two days to go before the Armenian voters head to the polling stations. […]
However, I am not entirely convinced that Kocharian’s words will result in greater support for Sargsyan, but anyway. We’ll know soon enough.
Onnik
Kocharian is the president so anyhow normally the forces should have been under his control. He doesnt need to declare that. It means that he has doubts ( in the past he alwasy relied on the forces from Artsakh, this time there will be none.
In the contrary LTP is not a president yet so he can freely say that Kocharian is loosing the control over this forces. And this is the truth.
The whole Yerkrapah supports LTP including their head who bailed the LTP Talin campaign team leader only recently.
The only hope for Srej is to cancle his order of ellection frauds and falsification schemas. Let the people vote who they want to vote. I am sure LTP and his team have no problem in this. If they loose to a truly ellected candidate they will admit their defeat.
Please note that Serje is not a candidate because he is running illegally. He doesnt even hide it. You can be a PM while you run for a president or any ellected position.
In my last line I ment “you can NOT be a PM while you tun for a president…”.
Haik – Serzh is running legally – there is OSCE conclusion for that. The current legislation and revised Constitution provide all necessary provisions for that, and it is all a result of Oppositions long silence and inability to properly fight, when such provisions and legal field were being put to effect, as to allow the PM to run for presidency. Instead they preferred to boycott the Constitutional referendum – idiots! 🙁
If that’s the case than it is absurd. But anyway my words re Kocharian still stand. As a president and chief of army it is unconstitutional to campaign for a candidate. Army should not be involved in political processes.
My whole point is to show that Robert is full of crap as always. He is a dictator. His words speek for that. He contradicts himself.
I’m really surprised at people who take sides in this battle. All those who think that with LTP coming to power Armenia is going to miraculously change overnight into a democracy are going to be very disappointed. Erkrapah’s support is nothing good, dear Haik, that organisation should have been banned years ago and Kocharian,being a wise politician,was trying to marginalise it since day 1 he came to power. It’s a club of local feudals, who terrorise the country and their leaders are criminals.
LTP’s rise has given me a lot of room for concern because of all the forces who have grouped with him. Though I think myself that there is a foreign plan to bring him to power, now, I find it really dangerous for Armenia’s interior peace and order. If LTP was really going to work towards democracy he should have distanced himself from the forces, you just know are going to put country into turmoil as soon as they get power. But,maybe,that’s what he wanted.
I think it depends on how you look at it. This election — and the last parliamentary one in fact — did not involve any heavy crackdowns or arrests after demos etc. In a sense, there is a real feeling of things being freer for the opposition here. You might say that’s because LTP returned, but it might also be why he has been so free to do and say things he’d normally get in trouble for.
Anyway, I don’t know how to take Kocharian’s statement, I’ll be honest, but it’s also possible he’s simply saying, listen, I’m still here and if necessary I will use force. This is especially necessary for Serge given Ter-Petrossian’s statement that 90 percent of the security forces are with him. Actually, while I could believe 10 percent or even 50, 90 percent is lunacy and there’s no sign of that or proof presented to that effect.
Yeah, well, some HHSh supporters I know say Manvel is ready to support Levon and is arming his people. Read Archuk’s comment for his opinion on that. Basically, I thought Levon was meant to be about change and not using “their” sons of bitches when they become “ours.” In fact, I’m reminded of something a friend said to me during the 2003 presidential election. He was from here, moved to the US a decade ago and had returned.
He said, you know, if I believed that the opposition would deal with these guys like Manvel then I could accept them coming to power. However, he said, he didn’t believe that would happen and Levon’s approach seems to bear that out. Ont he one hand, he decries corruption, the oligarchs, the criminals, but on the other, he tries to attract them to his side alleging they’ll lose everything under Serge.
Is that change? Or are we just talking about change at the top and a new redistribution of property and wealth among those who supported him at the expense of those who didn’t? This is why, if I were a citizen, I would not vote for Levon. Yes, yes, I know, I’m a traitor. Well, actually, if I were a citizen, I’d consider myself using my democratic right to make a choice, but anyway.
Actually, I’d vote against all by invalidating my ballot, or not vote, but that’s another issue. Fact is, I’m not a citizen so I’m just thinking out loud. Anyway, without any real alternative to the present system, although I do like ARF-D but could not vote for them on the basis of their foreign policy, all that matters for me is whoever gets the most votes in the least fraudulent environment is all that matters.
Serge, Levon, Vahan, I don’t think much would change domestically although foreign policy might slowly do so. Ultimately, however, I must admit that I agree with much of what Archuk says. Unfortunately.
http://www.regnum.ru/news/958376.html
Arden chdardzac hoghera handznum
Tigran, regnum@ yerevi lav chi haskacel te LTP-n inch e asum. Nerqevi hayeren tarberak@ mejberum e ayn inch asvel e. Regnum@ chi mejberum bayc verlutcum e asvatz@.
“´³Ûó ù³ÝÇ ¹»é ÈÔ Ï³ñ·³íÇ׳ÏÇ Ñ³ñóÁ Ñëï³Ï»óí³Í ã¿, î»ñ-ä»ïñáëÛ³ÝÁ ·ïÝáõÙ ¿, áñ ÷á˽ÇçÙ³Ý Ñ³ñóÁ ¹»é ÙÇ ÏáÕÙ ÏÙݳ: ܳ Ýß»ó, áñ ³Ûëûñ ³ÛÉ Ñ³ñó ¿ ùÝݳñÏíáõÙ` ÈÔ ÑÇÙݳËݹñÇ Ï³ñ·³íáñÙ³Ý ÷áõɳÛÇÝ ï³ñµ»ñ³ÏÁ: î»ñ-ä»ïñáëÛ³ÝÁ Ù³Ýñ³Ù³ëÝ»ó, û ÇÝã »Ý ùÝݳñÏáõÙ ³Ûëûñ. §Ô³ñ³µ³ÕÁ ²¹ñµ»ç³ÝÇÝ ¿ í»ñ³¹³ñÓÝáõÙ, ³¹ñµ»ç³Ý³Ï³Ý ï»ñÙÇݳµ³ÝáõÃÛ³Ùµ` ·ñ³íí³Í 7 ï³ñ³ÍùÝ»ñÇó 5, Ô³ñ³µ³ÕÇ ßáõñç ï»Õ³Ï³ÛáõÙ »Ý ÙÇç³½·³ÛÇÝ Ë³Õ³ñ³ñ áõÅ»ñ, Ô³ñ³µ³ÕÇ »õ г۳ëï³ÝÇ ÙÇç»õ »ñÏáõ ßñç³ÝÝ»ñÇ í»ñ³ÑëÏáÕáõÃÛáõÝÁ ¹»é ÙÝáõÙ ¿ Ô³ñ³µ³ÕÇ í»ñ³ÑëÏáÕáõÃÛ³Ý ï³Ï »õ Ô³ñ³µ³ÕáõÙ ÙÝáõÙ ¿ ³ÛÝ ù³Õ³ù³Ï³Ý ϳéáõóí³ÍùÁ, áñÝ ³Ûëûñ ϳ` Çñ µ³Ý³Ïáí, áëïÇϳÝáõÃÛ³Ùµ, ³Ýíï³Ý·áõÃÛ³Ý Í³é³ÛáõÃÛáõÝÝ»ñáí, å»ï³Ï³Ý ϳéáõÛóÝ»ñáí` ëå³ë»Éáí ÈÔ Ï³ñ·³íÇ׳ÏÁ ùÝݳñÏ»Éáõ ѳñÙ³ñ å³ÑÇ: ²ÛëåÇëÇ ³é³ç³ñÏ ¿ »Õ»É 1997Ã-ÇÝ, áñÁ ÁݹáõÝ»É ¿ »õ г۳ëï³ÝÁ, »õ ²¹ñµ»ç³ÝÁ, ë³Ï³ÛÝ Ù»ñÅí»É ¿ Ô³ñ³µ³ÕÁ¦: È»õáÝ î»ñ-ä»ïñáëÛ³ÝÁ ݳ»õ ÑÇß»óñ»ó, áñ ÙÇÝã»õ 1997Ã. Ô³ñ³µ³ÕÁ µ³ÝÏóáõÃÛáõÝÝ»ñÇ ·áñÍÁÝóóáõÙ ÉÇÇñ³í Ù³ëݳÏÇó ¿ñ »õ ÙÇç³½·³ÛÇÝ Ù³Ý¹³ï áõÝ»ñ, áñÁ ëï³ó»É ¿ñ ´áõ¹³å»ßïÇ º²ÐÎ ·³·³ÃݳÅáÕáíáõÙ, »õ µáÉáñ ³é³çñÏáõÃÛáõÝÝ»ñÁ ѳٳݳ˳·³ÑÝ»ñÁ Ý»ñϳ۳óÝáõÙ ¿ÇÝ 3 Ï»ÕÙ»ñÇÝ` г۳ëï³ÝÇÝ, Ô³ñ³µ³ÕÇÝ »õ ²¹ñµ»ç³ÝÇ.”
http://a1plus.am/am/?page=issue&iid=57748
i think Archuhk’s and Onik’s analysis are accurate, although i don’t agree with Onik’s opposition to ARF’s foreign policy, i must give him credit for objectively assessing Levon’s candidacy, whom sounds like Onnik previously supported.
However, the writings by those who support Levon always seem to be based on lies, cluelessness, negative attacks based on hearsay, and most of all hatred towards anything nationalistic such as ARF. For people like this no objective negative fact about Levon will make a difference, as their hatred for others compensates for all evil by Levon.
Armen, I’ve never supported anyone, but anyway. However, I must admit that I am inclined to those in opposition to government. Moreover, if tomorrow it looks as though part of Levon’s votes have been stolen or adversely affected by vote bribes or ballot box stuffing etc, I will also do all I can to make that known. Actually, same goes for other candidates too.
I will however say that I was very disappointed with the style and mentality of Ter-Petrossian’s campaign. It was designed to achieve something no doubt, but I do not consider it democratic. Anyway.
[…] will be left without liability“. President Kocharyan made a statement about being prepared to punish violators the other day. Interestingly, opposition candidate Levon Ter-Petrossian has been […]
No matter what RK said in his silly press conference. It was realy funny to see these 4 very scared journalists with prepared questiions and carefully asking one by one.
It’s really shame to see that the president of the country doesn’t call THE PRESS CONFERENCE when he sees that his country needs support and clarifications.
To be honest I feel sorry for small citizens in Armenia which are always ready to be obedient.