Arman Melikyan

Joint online press conferences with leading experts from different countries on topical issues are organized within the framework of the "Enhancing Knowledge and Understanding of ‘the Other Side’ by Armenians and Azerbaijani Through Alternative and First-Hand Information" project, implemented by Region Research Center (Armenia) and the Institute for Peace and Democracy (Azerbaijan), with the support of the British Embassies in Armenia and Azerbaijan.

David Stepanyan, "Arminfo" news agency-www.arminfo.am (Armenia)

1.It so happened that the upcoming Presidential elections can be characterized by a number of candidates’ announcements, according to which the elections of the President will be alternative-lacking, because their outcomes are predetermined. However, if the candidates were willing, they could put the power into a very uncomfortable situation if they left the Presidential race. This could lead even to the annulment of the Presidential elections scheduled on February 18. If all the candidates are certain of Serzh Sargsyan’s victory why shouldn’t they withdraw their candidacy and stop their participation in this process? 

- This is a multidimensional question, and I will have to give very thorough answers. First of all, let’s address predeterminatedness. Such moods are there among both citizens and the ruling elite and the oppositional parties for only one reason – everyone is convinced that the power will not allow fair elections and will use all its resources for falsifications. That is the reason why the leading political forces which could be competitive to S. Sargsyan refused to participate in the elections. The ruling power also worked very actively to ensure such a situation, it maneuvered very skillfully in the course of the Parliamentary elections last year when it managed to drag the ANC representatives into the Parliament, thus separating them from their “left out” supporters and to surround it by the Parliamentary pseudo-opposition, first of all, in the person of the Prosperous Armenia Party. Thus, ANC was left out of the political arena of the country in time. It is currently obvious that there is an implicit consent between the Republican Party and the Prosperous Armenia Party with regard to processes that should occur after Presidential elections. Thus, for the Republican Party, even before the beginning of the election processes, a broad arena was opened for maneuvers and assertions that they could be no alternatives to Serzh Sargsyan. This would be absolutely true in the current circumstances where the rules of the political game are dictated by the ruling party, because the leaders of the party which entered the campaign are currently unable to come to power through elections not only because they do not enjoy the sympathy of most Armenian citizens, but because of the finely-tuned system of falsifications and in particular the use of the votes of hundreds of thousands of RA citizens do not enable free choice. I am acting against the imposed rules. The main requirement at this moment is to secure the legitimacy of the whole electoral process, including the Election Day. That is why requirement number 1 is to make the power publish the number of citizens who left Armenia after independence.     

2.According to the data, provided by the Visa and Passport Inspection of the RA Police, tens of thousands of citizens leave the republic every year; however, they have recorded a growth in the number of voters by 25053 people. What do you think such numbers testify to?

- In fact, there are contradictions here, since this growth could be recorded as a result of granting citizenship to our compatriots, residing in foreign countries, and there are millions of them. And in the recent years the Armenian legislation has undergone amendments and people could accept the citizenship of the country as second citizenship.

Tarana Kyazimova, "Turan" news agency-www.contact.az (Azerbaijan)

- How would you evaluate the 5-year Presidency of your main competitor Serzh Sargsyan?

- As colorless.

Natig Javadli, "Bizim Yol" newspaper-www.bizimyol.az (Azerbaijan)

1.Less than a month is left before the Presidential elections in Armenia. Does the present socio-political situation and legislative base guarantee democratic elections?

- Absolutely not, as of now. I have already mentioned the reasons in my previous answers.

2.What can the non-participation of the ex-President Ter-Petrosyan in the Presidential elections be accounted for? What “hues” may the given fact give to the elections?

- In essence, I have already answered this question. Ter-Petrosyan’s non-participation, in my opinion, has to do with the poorly selected political tactics which caused the recent disintegration of the ANC he used to head. But on the other hand, Ter-Petrosyan definitely realized that he did not have sufficient potential to prevent falsifications. His refusal to put up his candidacy brought about profound disappointment among his supporters.  

Tarana Kyazimova, "Turan" news agency-www.contact.az (Azerbaijan)

1.What makes your platform different from that of S. Sargsyan on the resolution of the Karabakh conflict?

- Since I have already stated that the Madrid principles are useful in the sense that they contribute to the preservation of the status quo, but not the establishment of long-term peace, it is necessary to change the look on the problem. In the years of the heated phase of the conflict (1988 - 1994) there was an exchange of population and territories. This was quite a painful process that brought colossal suffering to hundreds of thousands of people. I think that the resolution of the conflict should not be in the plain of interests of this or that state, rather it should be based on humanitarian principles. There should not be any more dislocations. It is truly sad but no one looks forward to seeing Armenians in Sumagit or Baku, or Azerbaijanis anywhere in the territories controlled by the Nagorno Karabakh Republic. The people should be made comfortable where they are living today so that their lives run their proper course. You cannot make people like you, even though I do not exclude the possibility of positive relations between the two people later in time.

2.The previous elections in Armenia were accompanied by a profound political confrontation and ended with cruel dispersals of opposition protest that resulted in casualties. Can the Armenian society avoid such a scenario this time?

- I am convinced that this time there will be no street fighting in Yerevan. I am against revolutions, and I see a possibility to solve the problems making use of the tools of political arsenal.

Gagik Baghdasaryan, "News Armenia" news agency-www.newsarmenia.am (Armenia)
 

- Mr. Melikyan, what is your vision of the future of the Armenian and Russian relations?

- It will largely depend on the vision of the Russian Establishment. Both Russia and Armenia are facing numerous problems that require urgent solutions. The major issue for our country is a matter of world outlook. Russia is trying to draw up the answer to this question, promoting the idea of Eurasianism, while in Armenia they are not even trying to address those issues. Global geopolitical processes are developing at a great speed; neither our elites nor our authorities manage to catch up with them.

Artak Barseghyan, Public Radio of Armenia-www.armradio.am (Armenia)

- Mr. Melikyan, how much is the halt of your campaign related to your distrust to the CEC of Armenia?

- This is not the problem of the Central Electoral Commission. I had a chance to communicate with the representatives of the current members of the Central Electoral Commission and I have no doubt that they are on top of the situation. It is a different issue that they couldn’t dissolve my doubts with regard to probable falsifications. None of them knows how many voters there are in Armenia. This is a political issue which can be solved only through political dialogues with the power, which the power refused to undertake. This is an undesirable turn but in this case we will have only one thing to do but in the given case we will have only one thing left to do, to declare the elections invalid and illegitimate long before the Election Day. 

David Stepanyan, "Arminfo" news agency-www.arminfo.am (Armenia)

1.On January 28^th a meeting between the heads of the Foreign Affairs Ministries of Armenia and Azerbaijan will be held in Paris. It is assumed that the Minsk group mediators will bring a few new ideas to Nalbandyan’s and Mamedyarov’s attention to consider. What do you think will be discussed and what are the anticipations for that meeting?

- These statements have been repeated so frequently that they seem to be worn out and have lost their sense. I have no expectations whatsoever and if there are new ideas, let them be promulgated, and only after that it will possible to speak substantially on that matter.

2.Is the lack of consensus between Paris, Washington and Moscow on the issue of the regulation of the Karabakh conflict an advantage or a disadvantage for the Armenian party? What trends do you see in this process?

- The lack of consensus currently allows maintaining the status quo. Since I do not think that the Madrid principles are a real basis for the resolution of the conflict, I prefer to maintain the status quo at the present. At the same time it is clear that we should be looking for ways to establish long-term peace. But this should be done on the basis of new ideas and universal principles.

Artak Barseghyan, Public Radio of Armenia-www.armradio.am (Armenia)

1.Do you consider the probability of nominating a joint opposition candidate before February 18? Have you had meetings with the other Presidential candidates?

- The only one I visited was Andreas Ghukasyan which as known has gone on a hunger strike. There were no political consultations held, and to speak of nominating a joint oppositional candidate is inappropriate, since today the notion of opposition is extremely blurred. Rather it would be possible to speak of a candidate who can win the sympathy of the public and the trust of the major political forces, not participating in the electoral processes.

2.What will your political future be after February 18 in case you lose in the upcoming elections?

- We can only speak of my defeat if the elections are not falsified: guaranteeing the legitimacy of elections will already be my victory, regardless of its outcomes. Politics is the only thing that I can engage in in the future.

Rashad Rustamov, "Zerkalo" newspaper-www.zerkalo.az (Azerbaijan)

1.How different is your position on the Nagorno Karabakh problem from those held by the other candidates? Do you think it possible to prosecute those who in the period of hostilities killed the peaceful population?

- I have already partially answered the first question. However, I should add that in case I am elected President I will initiate the process of the acknowledgement of NKR, this process will go parallel with the negotiations within the Minsk Group and will be a useful supplement to it. I am categorically against any violations of the rules of warfare and I consider that civilian depopulation is not applicable. This question may come into your attention in the context of the general resolution of the conflict.   

2.How do you assess the role of the civil society in the peaceful resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh problem?

- That role is minimal at the moment.

Aydin Kerimov, "Novoye Vremya" newspaper-www.novoye-vremya.com (Azerbaijan)

1.What role does the region a Presidential candidate comes from play in the elections in Armenia?

- I think it definitely plays a major role. That is why now the electoral campaign in Armenia is quite special. The main competitor S. Sargsyan from Karabakh by origin has is known to be Raffi Hovhannisyan, a representative of the Diaspora, born in the USA. This is done so in order to oust any potential candidate born in Yerevan who could earn the votes of the residents of the capital, and in general the population of “mainland” Armenia. 

2.Will you support Sargsyan in case the incumbent President Sargsyan or any other candidates are elected into the second stage? 

- The first condition is the assurance of the legitimacy of the elections. This legitimacy is not ensured at the moment that is why it is so far early to look so far ahead.

3.Will Armenia shift from authoritarianism to democracy in case you are elected President?

- There is one thing I can say for sure: corruption will be eradicated from the state governance system. There will be no corruption as a systemic phenomenon in Armenia.

Armen Minasyan, panorama.am (Armenia)
 

1.How would you comment on the statement made by Rovshan Rzayev in PACE that “the position of the official Yerevan seems strange to him since it hinders the dialogue between our peoples?” What do you think hinders the dialogue between the two peoples?

- I am very ironic with regard to populist statements. Against the background of the political position of the Azerbaijani establishment and the constant infusion of phobias of Armenians, such a statement, to put it mildly, looks unconvincing,.

2.How would you comment on the decree passed by the government of Azerbaijan that allows the Azerbaijani military air force to shoot down civilian crafts over the territory of the Nagorno Karabkh Republic? What consequences is it fraught with?

- I would not recommend they should try to test their strength in that way. Since as a result, the air force jets may be the ones to be shot down. In such cases it is more efficient to use air defense rather than the air force. I think Karabakh has a high level of combat training. However, I assume that this is rather a form of political blackmail which is not very likely to succeed.