Political Forces Longing for the Past Norms and Opportunities Will Not Return: Alen Simonyan

During a session of the 'My Step' faction today, the impact of coronavirus in Armenia and its effect on the political arena was discussed. This was noted by the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly and MP of the 'My Step' faction, Alen Simonyan, in a conversation with reporters near the office of the 'Civil Contract' party.

"It's a regular meeting of the faction. To say we gathered on a specific issue wouldn't be accurate, there were 3-4 issues on the agenda. General discussions took place, and, of course, we also discussed Mr. Tsarukyan's statement from yesterday," said Simonyan.

Commenting on Gagik Tsarukyan's assertion that the government should be changed by 100%, Alen Simonyan highlighted, "In Armenia, the authorities are changed by one subject, which is the citizens of the Republic of Armenia. Not a businessman, not an employer, not a group of people, but the people decide. This is Gagik Tsarukyan's personal opinion, rooted in memories from the past when he collaborated for many years with the Republican Party of Armenia. Perhaps such statements were aimed at initiating some negotiations or discussions. This is not that case. As for the rest, we will see very soon what will happen in the political field, what will happen regarding the remaining news and rumors on the internet."

When asked if it could be inferred that Gagik Tsarukyan is adopting such a stringent political stance to enter into negotiations with the authorities due to criminal cases against his associates, Alen Simonyan responded: "I did not say anything ambiguous regarding anything; I spoke very directly and believe both our viewers and political partners understand well what I mean. I think that in this situation, the process of gaining political dividends is not quite right and will not be forgotten. The rest will all fall into place very soon."

He assured, "No one in Armenia has been charged with a criminal case for political reasons, nor can they be." According to Simonyan, gaining political dividends during this pandemic context is not sensible.

To the question of whether all forces demanding the Prime Minister's resignation have mutually agreed to start a struggle against the government, Alen Simonyan replied, "I wish them all to gather in one place, as that way it will be clear for everyone who is who. Moreover, the statement made yesterday that we are ready for discussions with everyone does not correspond to reality. I am aware from various sources that meetings have already taken place, but for us and the citizens of Armenia, a crystallization process will take place, and we will know who is who. The crystallization process is as follows: the political forces that are longing for past norms and opportunities they had are hiding under various disagreements, but there is no return to that, and there will not be."