Sargis Hatspanyan: When it comes to the change of regime in Armenia, the West washes hands of it

Mr.Hatspanyan, how would you assess
the ongoing developments in Armenia? What can you say about the threats and
challenges?   

The root of almost all the problems
in Armenia is the anti-state, anti-Armenian core of the incumbent regime. The
regime is based on the National Security Service, which, in fact, seriously
threatens our country’s security; the Police, which, in fact, has nothing to do
with defending the citizens’ interests; and the State Revenue Committee, which
resembles the collectors of the Ottoman Empire’s time. Serzh Sargsyan knows
that was elected illegitimately. I think the only solution would be Serzh
Sargsyan’s removal from power. Today Armenia’s major problem caused by Serzh
Sargsyan’s regime is the intensive outflow of the population. The removal of
Serzh Sargsyan and his team from power is the only guaranteed way to stop the
migration.           

Who of the politicians do you think
is able to solve this problem?

We need system changes. I am
confident that neither Levon Ter-Petrosyan, nor Gagik Tsarukyan or
Raffi Hovannisian can take the country out of the crisis. If we put any of them
in Serzh Sargsyan’s place, they will conduct a similar policy as they have been
exhausted. All of them are an integral part of the political system in Armenia,
which has gone bad. It is not accidental that no presidential elections in
Armenia but the one held in 1991 resulted in the regime change. And if
elections do not result in regime change, it means that this problem cannot be
settled politically. We need a strong civic movement. Fortunately,
establishment of such a movement is becoming reality. The available packets of
resistance, i.e. the developments in the Mashtots Park, the protest against
construction of the high-class buildings in Komitas Street, the fight against
the compulsory component of the accumulative pension system may turn into a
kind of maidan in Armenia. I think this is a very much possible scenario. Any
small case may lead to escalation of tension. The social unrest in Armenia is
growing day by day.
 

Do you think the four non-coalition
forces of the Armenian Parliament will be able to change the power in the
country?

I think after the March 2008 events the society was
disappointed with the political force headed by the first president of Armenia
Levon Ter-Petrosyan. Ter-Petrosyan had no right to "fraternize" with
a man, who took a direct part in the March 2008 slaughter. There are many
proofs of the fact that Gagik Tsarukyan's bodyguards were given the needed
armament. There were numerous publications about that in the mass media. The
Prosperous Armenia Party has always been Robert Kocharyan's apple of the eye,
which steeped hands in blood of the 10 victims. Only a man far from politics or
a crazy man or a swindler can take Gagik Tsarukyan as a politician, and imagine
him as a bearer of any high ideas. I think that Ter-Petrosyan understands very
well who Tsarukyan is. He said in 2008 that if Tsarukyan broke his ties with
the authorities just for a minute, he would turn into a dosser. In the
conditions of concrescence of big business and the authorities, of the total
control of the power over the big business, the revolt of one of the biggest
representatives of the big business against the authorities may have
unpredictable consequences for him. One can notice slight hints on it in the
statements by "ordinary" members of the ruling Republican Party of
Armenia. And the number one oligarch understands that very well. Today's
changing of Ter-Petrosyan's position is a result of his powerlessness.

 At the 1 March 2014 rally,
Ter-Petrosyan said that Armenia’s accession to the Customs Union is an
irreversible fact. What kind of message was that?  

I think Ter-Petrosyan meant that he
would serve the Kremlin better that Serzh Tsarukyan. If you remember, he said
that Serzh Sargsyan is unable to use the Customs Union opportunities in
Armenia’s interests as effectively as possible. This was a direct proposal to
Moscow to make use of Ter-Petrosyan’s services. The question is whether the
Kremlin will take into account his assurances or not.   

What about the accession to the
Customs Union?  

I am totally against that decision of Yerevan. The
Customs Union does not look promising for Armenia, it will result in both
economic and demographic losses of Armenia. Armenia should participate in no
integration project given its geographic location at least. We need a balanced
foreign policy. I seriously doubt about the true wish and ability of the West
to help Armenia to settle its problems. Everybody remembers how
enthusiastically the western leaders and heads of European structures were
congratulating president Serzh Sargsyan reelected as a result of the rigged
election last year. Last year’s election showed the true face of the Western
champions of democracy. The Western community has always supported the
authorities of Armenia, but not its citizens. And the latest statement by the
US ambassador to Armenia, who supported the pension reform, is the evidence of
that. The West needs weak and controlled Armenia.  Why didn’t they support the pan-national
movement in Armenia in March 2008? But they supported the Kiev Maidan. Here we
have again come across the so-called dual standards of the West. They can
support the anti-Russian Maidan, but when it comes to the overthrow of the
criminal regime in Armenia, Europe washes hands of it.  

Radical changes in the political
system of a number of post-Soviet countries led to the loss of territories.
Mikheil Saakashvili’s Georgia lost Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Ukraine lost
Crimea as a result of Euromaidan. May Armenia experience a maidan given the
unresolved Karabakh conflict?   

Of course, there is some threat. But
one should not turn the Karabakh conflict into a carte blanche in the
authorities’ hands. The conflict should not justify the unlawful acts committed
by Serzh Sargsyan’s regime. The Azeri army should by no means be compared with
the Armenian one in terms of combat effectiveness. An ordinary Armenian
detachment will offer rebuff to any Azeri subversive group, we saw that during
the January sabotage attack of Azerbaijan. In addition, one should not forget
the ability of our society to promptly join forces against the foreign enemy.
Turkey cannot threaten our border either, because the border is defended by the
Russian armed forces. The only problem we may face in case of shift in power is
the lack of skilled personnel. Any revolution comes across such a problem, but
in the course of time the problem finds its solution.