Aram Manukyan: To speak about next elections is a mockery

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation –Dashnaktsutyun knew that the path chosen by the three opposition forces –Armenian National Congress (HAK), Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK), and Heritage, will not lead to a power change. “Anyway, we respected their position and that stratum of society that longed for changes,” says Artsvik Minasyan, a senior member of the Dashnaktsutyun faction. The Republicans did not even notice that the opposition started the process of a regime change. Republican MP Seyran Saroyan says, “When did they start and when did they fail?” The retired general sees no reasons for complaint but a few social issues and says people need not hold protests for them. Nor does he agree with the belief that the opposition cannot come up with legislative initiatives in parliament.  “Let them submit normal bills without giving political colouring to them,” he said. Republican MP Ashot Aghababyan says he does not care whether the opposition unseats the authorities or not: he does not believe the fairytales about a change of government. He wants peace and says the rallies held by the opposition were simply an attempt to test people’s preparedness for war. “The rallies proved that we are ready for war,” he says. The BHK reminds everyone that the authorities will be changed in Armenia, but within the realm of law.  BHK member Mikael Melkumyan says it is not right to rally 50000 people and to stage a coup. “The point is not in the number of people you have rallied. You could gather 60 000, 70 000 or 100 000 people, but you will not succeed unless you have matured the idea in all settlements and communities. That is the way to real success.” Mikael Melkumyan does not agree with the opinion that the process will take his party two or three years and will coincide with the next parliamentary elections. He says Armenia has already suffered several heart attacks but it is not serious to set definite dates. “The sooner the authorities are changed, the better for us,” says Secretary of the HAK faction Aram Manukyan. He says it is very important that the opposition trio continues to cooperate and has similar approaches on a power change: they have been working on it for two years. “We do not have differences in approaches and objective in this phase, there is a speed difference. And now we are trying to fill that gap.” Mr Manukyan says they cannot wait till the next parliamentary elections. “In that case, all these processes will be a mockery, a tale. Only imagine that three powerful political forces took it to the street in order to speak about next elections? No, that cannot happen.”