Levon Ter-Petrosyan Falsified Elections, Resulting in Thieves: Aghazaryan

The first President of Armenia, Levon Ter-Petrosyan, recently expressed some thoughts that have prompted a discussion with MP Hovik Aghazaryan from the ruling Political Party. Notably, Ter-Petrosyan suggested initiating dialogue between former presidents of Armenia and Artsakh, along with the Catholicos.

- Mr. Aghazaryan, do you believe that dialogue between your government and the opposition is at all possible?

- I don’t think so... that dialogue has existed today, it existed yesterday, and the day before yesterday. When the ruling party presents an agenda, the other parliamentary forces and other opposition forces unite against that agenda with the aim of dismissing it and taking power, and if this all doesn’t resonate within society, it means that society supports that agenda—the agenda of the ruling party. Therefore, in that sense, I find that our pre-election programs are aligned with the public's expressed agenda.

- Ter-Petrosyan says that the best Armenia can do is to choose the least painful solution among potentially painful choices. Do you not acknowledge that your government has brought Armenia to a state where it must choose the least painful option?

- I do not believe that to be the case. Fortunately, today Ter-Petrosyan has no influence on the processes. When he had influence, he acted contrary to logic, falsified elections, and as a result, he couldn’t advance what he considered to be the right agenda. So, I repeat, he has no influence on the processes now. The government operates according to the agenda presented by the people.

- Ter-Petrosyan also stated that Prime Minister Pashinyan should be extended a hand to help him choose the least painful option, and that former presidents are embracing this responsibility. Is your government prepared to extend this hand if it is decided that the presidents are ready to engage in dialogue?

- He didn’t specifically say that; he can only say that on his own behalf, as his statements did not imply that the other participants in that initiative share his views.

- At least Ter-Petrosyan is extending this hand. Is Pashinyan prepared to shake it?

- I cannot speak for Nikol Pashinyan; if he finds it appropriate, let him shake that hand.

- Would you shake it?

- No.

- Why not?

- Because all negative developments in the Republic of Armenia since 1995 are associated with the person you mentioned.

- So when you say, “the former ones are to blame,” does this include Ter-Petrosyan?

- He is the most culpable of them all.

- Is Ter-Petrosyan more culpable for you than Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan?

- Of course, he gave birth to them.

- Meanwhile, many say that Levon Ter-Petrosyan is the creator of Pashinyan and his political father.

- Well, we must judge by the results. If we enter into conspiracy theories here, we will be mistaken. We should judge the outcomes: thanks to the efforts of Levon Ter-Petrosyan, Serzh Sargsyan, Robert Kocharyan, and all other faction leaders of that time, Armenia became a party to the conflict. The national liberation struggle of the Artsakh people was pushed to the background, the conflict turned into a Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, a territorial struggle, and we fell into a cycle of negative spirals.

- Why do you think all former presidents and the Catholicos have met and are planning to meet again?

- I must first say that I do not recognize “all former presidents” because Levon Ter-Petrosyan has been the only semi-president, as he was legitimately elected for the first time through fair and transparent elections. The others, in my view, were leaders of the Republic of Armenia, not presidents. As for why they gathered, I cannot answer that on their behalf.

- They say they have gathered to find solutions to the current heavy situation.

- In my deep conviction, their struggle is to maintain what they have plundered over time and space.

- So they all gathered to preserve the “plunder”?

- Ter-Petrosyan himself did not steal; he falsified elections, resulting in the birth of thieves.