Kocharian's Return

[Haykakan]

ROBERT KOCHARYAN TAKES STEPS TO RETURN TO POLITICS: ARFD

news.am
March 24 2010
Armenia

We all witnessed the heritage former President Robert Kocharyan got
and what we had 10 after, ARFD faction Secretary Artyusha Shahbazyan
told journalists March 24 commenting on the possibility of his return
to politics.

According to him, ARF Dashnaktsutyun not always backed Robert
Kocharyan. "Within years in coalition, we repeatedly criticized
him on various matter, considering that in this period he made many
neglects," Shahbazyan said, stressing consolidation of the oligarchic
system and reinforcement of shadow economy.

Noting that Kocharyan is well aware of the nisi of Armenian politics,
ARFD member said that former President has whole a lot to say.

"Recently, he seems to take steps to return to politics, visiting Iran
and France before incumbent President's visits to the countries,"
Shahbazyan stated, adding that these moves might imply cooperation
between Serzh Sargsyan and Robert Kocharyan.

Speaking of Kocharyan, Member of Republican Party of Armenia (RPA)
Sukias Avetisyan underlined it is useful to avail the potential of
an experienced man.

[Federate]

Re: Kocharian's Return

Thanks for the thread Haykakan. Might we see an ARF/Kocharian alliance in the near-future?
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Dashnaks Back Kocharian Criticism Of Government


A leader of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) on Thursday defended former President Robert Kocharian’s criticism of the Armenian government’s economic policies and his calls for continued government support for the domestic construction industry.

In an interview with the Mediamax news agency released on Tuesday, Kocharian rejected a widespread view, shared by pro-government politicians, that the Armenian economy contracted sharply last year because it had grown too dependent on the once booming construction sector.

He insisted that the construction boom, which came to an end in late 2008, was driven by objective factors. Kocharian also claimed that the government could have averted the 2009 slump in construction had it maintained “huge” demand in new housing and office space.

Armen Rustamian, the de facto head of Dashnaktsutyun’s governing body in Armenia, said Kocharian presented “irrefutable facts” and suggested a correct remedy for bringing the country out of the economic crisis. “He is telling the truth,” Rustamian told RFE/RL. “Those are the real figures. Are the current authorities denying that? No.”

“True, not every person can afford to buy an apartment. But there was demand and it was used,” he said. Kocharian is right to urge the administration of President Serzh Sarkisian to support housing demand and take other measures that would boost the construction sector, added Rustamian.

The sector was a key driving force behind Armenia’s double-digit economic growth that preceded the crisis. The current government, opposition forces other than Dashnaktsutyun as well as Western donors believe that its renewed robust growth hinges on, among other things, a greater diversification of the Armenian economy.

Hrant Bagratian, a former prime minister and senior member of the main opposition Armenian National Congress (HAK), reaffirmed on Thursday his rejection of Kocharian’s statements. “The economic crisis in 2009 was so acute because of his irresponsible, needless and unnecessary construction,” Bagratian told a news conference.

Bagratian argued that the pre-crisis construction boom was concentrated in the center of Yerevan and mainly resulted in luxury apartments and expensive office space which he said cost a total of $3 billion. “That $3 billion has not served to spur the country’s development,” he said, again alleging that Kocharian personally benefited from that through secret ownership of local construction firms.

The HAK leader again claimed that as many as 12,000 newly apartments have yet to find buyers. “Judging from the interview, Kocharian’s main concern is to sell them,” he said.

Kocharian’s remarks have stoked speculation about that the ex-president’s political comeback. Newspapers sympathetic to the HAK have for months claimed that he has set his sights on the post of prime minister and that Dashnaktsutyun strongly supports his return to power.

The nationalist party was one of Kocharian’s staunchest political allies throughout is decade-long presidency. It pulled out of Armenia’s current governing coalition in April last year in protest against President Serzh Sarkisian’s conciliatory policy on Turkey.

Rustamian insisted that Dashnaktsutyun is not plotting to return to government together with Kocharian. “We absolutely don’t condition our policy and our steps with that,” he said. “It is up to Kocharian to decide what to do. We decide our actions on our own and will carry them out on our own.”

http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article/1993886.html

[KarotheGreat]

Re: Kocharian's Return

I support his return to the politics. I think the people need a second power that is criticizing the government and i think he can fulfill that roll.

[Haykakan]

Re: Kocharian's Return

Personaly i think this sets up the good cop bad cop game. We are gona have one critisize the other over shortcomings and failiurs but in reality they are both on the same team (like the democrats and republicans in USA). This can be a usefull tool in showing the world that Armenia does have a effective opposition thus getting the democracy loving west off its back but i am not sure if this will do any good for the domestic situation. As i mentioned before Armenia has had a effective foreighn policy but not a effective domestic policy and i dont see this changing with Kocharians return.

[ashot24]

Re: Kocharian's Return

I don't know about Kocharyan, in my opinion, he has already hold power for too long (10 years is a lot politically talking), and no much would change if he returns to power.

[Haykakan]

Re: Kocharian's Return

I don't know about Kocharyan, in my opinion, he has already hold power for too long (10 years is a lot politically talking), and no much would change if he returns to power.

What Kocharian managed to do with Armenia during his reign is rather impressive to say the least. The downside is the oligarch system and the general pervasivness of corruption in the country. This should be a good time for another economic recovery maybe even a boom so i am guessing he knows this and is timing his return accordingly to take credit for some of it. Kocharian himself is very much a oligarch-i think his son runs the car sales in Armenia thus the government places unreal tarrifs on imported vehicles to give him a monopoly. Tariffs and monopolies of this type are a big part of the reason why Armenia has economic problems and is not growing faster then it is. I very much dought the oligarchs will cut their own flow of easy money thus so long as these guys are in power i dought we will see the much needed changes Armenia needs. The truth is that by making the right kinds of changes the oligarchs would get even richer because a richer population can buy more but i am not sure if these guys understand that part or know how to create and take advantage of such a situation.

[ashot24]

Re: Kocharian's Return

What Kocharian managed to do with Armenia during his reign is rather impressive to say the least. The downside is the oligarch system and the general pervasivness of corruption in the country. This should be a good time for another economic recovery maybe even a boom so i am guessing he knows this and is timing his return accordingly to take credit for some of it. Kocharian himself is very much a oligarch-i think his son runs the car sales in Armenia thus the government places unreal tarrifs on imported vehicles to give him a monopoly. Tariffs and monopolies of this type are a big part of the reason why Armenia has economic problems and is not growing faster then it is. I very much dought the oligarchs will cut their own flow of easy money thus so long as these guys are in power i dought we will see the much needed changes Armenia needs. The truth is that by making the right kinds of changes the oligarchs would get even richer because a richer population can buy more but i am not sure if these guys understand that part or know how to create and take advantage of such a situation.

I only say that the oligarchs always loose their belts, while the people had to tight them. That will happen with every government, regardless who's in power, but Kocharyan already had his time and it was a long time. I doubt people would like to see the same faces they saw ten years ago.

As you said Kocharyan is now playing as the "good cop", he will say he left an almost "perfect" country and will talk about how Sargsyan's has fcked it and now he's the "bad cop", if he indeed wants to go back to politics he might be joining the opposition parties, however not a long time ago he supported Sargsyan, and he was criticized by the ones who now support him and claim him...What is going on? I mean...do they think people don't remember? People has memory, during Kocharyan's regime good things happened but also bad things, and the bad things are the ones people always remember because the bad things are the ones that impacted their lives, regardless of what he or anybody says, the collective memory of our people is present in all of them...we don't need more oligarchs sitting in the presidential places, more monopolies controlling every single thing, more corruption here and there, and more poverty.

But forget it, if Kocharyan wants to be president again he will be, he's "The Godfather" anyways...

[Haykakan]

Re: Kocharian's Return

Well i agree with everything you said except the very first one "oligarchs always loose their belts, while the people had to tight them". I am assuming you mean the oligarchs get rich while the people get poorer (let me know if thats not what you meant). That scenerio does not fit well with niether the people nor the olis. The olis need to realize that by positioning their businesses correctly they will make way more money from a fair economic system then they ever could from a currupt one like todays. If the people of Armenia prosper they will then have more money to spend on the goods and services provided by the olis. This is a level of sophistocation the ruling class in Armenia has yet to achieve ( i am not even sure if they are aware of such a thing). By getting rid of unfair business practices and stupid tarriffs the olis can become way richer then they are now and will have a much happier and wealthier country to rule along with happier and wealthier citizens. It realy does not take a genious to figure this out and i hope that they figure it out soon vs later.

[hipeter924]

Re: Kocharian's Return

I don't know about Kocharyan, in my opinion, he has already hold power for too long (10 years is a lot politically talking), and no much would change if he returns to power.

10 years is not long, Bush alone had around that.

[ashot24]

Re: Kocharian's Return

Well i agree with everything you said except the very first one "oligarchs always loose their belts, while the people had to tight them". I am assuming you mean the oligarchs get rich while the people get poorer (let me know if thats not what you meant). That scenerio does not fit well with niether the people nor the olis. The olis need to realize that by positioning their businesses correctly they will make way more money from a fair economic system then they ever could from a currupt one like todays. If the people of Armenia prosper they will then have more money to spend on the goods and services provided by the olis. This is a level of sophistocation the ruling class in Armenia has yet to achieve ( i am not even sure if they are aware of such a thing). By getting rid of unfair business practices and stupid tarriffs the olis can become way richer then they are now and will have a much happier and wealthier country to rule along with happier and wealthier citizens. It realy does not take a genious to figure this out and i hope that they figure it out soon vs later.

Hmm what you said is not what I wanted to say exactly, I wanted to say that while the olies (I like that name) can give themselves some "freedoms" (like receiving 3000 dollar watches in Christmas in the middle of an economic crisis), ordinary people has to cut "freedoms" (like going to the market each time with more money and returning with less things), it's not necessarily they get richer and people gets poorer, it means like things get harder for normal people each time. Don you know what I mean?

You're totally right about what you're saying, but I think is not they don't know that a far and healthy system would bring more benefits, they don't put that in practice because in order to achieve so means time, effort, MONEY, hard work, etc. until results can be seen, it is always easier and quicker to go "corrupted"...

10 years is not long, Bush alone had around that.

Yeah and look what he did...is not that Kocharyan is Bush, but when it comes to politics the same face and the same line of work wastes the image and the acceptance of a politician, sometimes people ends up hating him. Why do you think Obama won?