Kocharian Explains Why He Hasn't Appeared Publicly for 3 Years

Former President of Armenia Robert Kocharian announced during a press conference that his absence from the public sphere over the past three years was influenced by various considerations. He pointed out that there were frequent opinions in the media suggesting that his activities and press conferences hindered certain individuals from establishing themselves in the political landscape. While he disagreed with that thesis, he decided to grant others that opportunity.

“But what happened? I wasn't talking, yet people were talking about me, and quite often they were discussing my shadow, especially those who wanted me not to speak. We have what we have, and today, despite all my efforts, there is a large mass waiting for my word. This was the first reason for my passivity,” Kocharian said.

“The second reason was that I thought maybe it was right to leave the Prime Minister alone with his voter base. I considered it might be beneficial for him to explain to 600,000 ‘prime ministers’ why their lives are deteriorating, why the government is shamelessly taking from their pockets, why they have become subjects of fines, why the government is mired in corruption, and why poverty is overwhelming them while the wealth of the ruling party members accumulates in their safes,” the former president added.