If a guy like me joins those who surrender Artsakh, then my blood is a lie. Vardan Ghukasian

“I have never sold out, nor does anyone have the moral right to say such a thing about me. I am not one to walk the path with traitors of the homeland, even if my feet and hands are cut off. For me, the highest is the Republic of Armenia and the Armenian people,” said Vardan Ghukasian, candidate for mayor from the Communist Party and former mayor of Gyumri, in a conversation with reporters before the voting.

This statement was made in response to questions regarding his vulnerability as a candidate and the possibility that the ruling party might force him to cooperate with them.

When commenting on whether he knew that in 2018 those in power were traitors, he said, “In 2018, when I called for action and said, ‘reject Serzh,’ I did the right thing. I didn’t want that power to remain at the helm of the country and I didn’t know that today’s ruling party was brought by the powers of that day, neither did I imagine that they were working collaboratively together. Had I known, I would have acted differently.”

He emphasized that he has made it clear that if anyone from the opposition gathers more votes than him, he will definitely join them. “But if I gather a lot of votes, then that principle should be applied. Whoever disagrees is cooperating with the ruling party,” he stated.

Responding to the question about whether he has discussed this matter with other political forces, he said, “I have not had meetings or discussions with anyone. I hope everyone thinks the same way. I will do it in such a way that you will all know if someone suddenly does it differently; we must inform everyone. If there is an opposition and they do not join someone who gathers a lot of votes, it means they are doing it deliberately.”

“If several opposition parties unite and suggest that I join them, and my votes are more than theirs, I will just laugh. Even if they imprison me suddenly, my team will definitely take over the city’s leadership, and I will work from there even if I am imprisoned. Immediately delete any thought of joining the ruling party; if a guy like me joins those who surrender Artsakh, then my blood is a lie,” he concluded.