Opposition forces` attempts to drive a wedge between Armenian and  Artsakh authorities cannot be understood - Alen Simonyan

ArmInfo.Armenian Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan cannot understand the opposition forces' attempts to drive a wedge between the Armenian and Artsakh  authorities. 

"What is the point of the attempts and who benefits from them? I  cannot understand the criticism over the Armenian authorities'  condolences to Turkey either. I offered my condolences as well - and  I did well because they have 10,000 victims to the tragedy similar to  that our country once suffered. We could not but respond," Mr  Simonyan said. Even the president of the Legislative Assembly of  Cyprus, which hardly has an amicable relationship with Turkey, did  so. Of course, Ankara's actions toward Armenia are hostile. "But what  should we do in this situation? Shall we attack Turkey with its  90-million-strong population? I cannot understand your way of solving  problems," Mr Simonyan said. 

He is severely critical of the opposition forces' attitude to the  four-partite meeting in Prague, which discussed an  Armenian-Azerbaijan peace agreement.

"Do the UN member-states recognize Artsakh's territorial integrity?  For many years in power, the forces that are in opposition now, never  made any claims to Azerbaijani territories. So what are you talking  about now?" Mr Simonyan said. 

In commenting on the idea of early elections put forward the other  day, he called the opposition forces not to link the Civil Contract  party's supporters with those of the opposition forces. "When during  your marches you, according to some reports, tried to involve new  people by bribing them, their number was within 10,000, whereas you  received 200,000 votes during the elections. So where are your  supporters?" Holding early elections is not a problem for Armenia's  authorities, Mr Simonyan said. It is primarily the Armenian  Revolutionary Federation (ARF) that should get ready for early  elections as it either may not get into Parliament at all or have  even fewer representatives in Parliament. 

"All the nations, including Armenia, have their national interests.  When [Armenia's third president] Serge Sargsyan awarded a medal to  Mikheil Saakashvili, which could have been perceived as a personal  insult at that time - why do you say, why are you spoiling relations  with our powerful ally?" Mr Simonyan said.