YEREVAN. - A dialogue between the authorities and Armenian National Congress (ANC) is not to the benefit of some internal and external forces, Armenia’s first president, and leader of the ANC Levon Ter-Petrosyan said at the rally on Friday.
“A dialogue will lead the Armenian authorities out of a vulnerable situation and strengthen our country’s international positions, particularly in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process,” he said.
The ANC leader also addressed the claims that the National Congress monopolized the opposition camp.
“It is a fact that a political force can monopolize power. But the idea of a political force monopolizing the opposition camp is so brilliant that it can arise only in the Armenian political arena,” Ter-Petrosyan said. “How could the ANC monopolize the opposition camp? Do we have administrative resources, or unlimited financial resources? Do we own electronic media, or enjoy support by external forces? Do we terrorize opponents and imprison them, or do we use neurolinguistics?”
Ter-Petrosyan believes that if, after three years “of severest political persecution,” the Congress managed to succeed, the reason is entirely different. ANC’s intellectual abilities, daily hard work, consistent and persistent struggle, dialogue with the people, self-sacrifice, organization, discipline, and determination allowed that, ANC leader believes.
Ter-Petrosyan also addressed talks about the need to create a third force.
“We must admit that talks about creation of the third force mean that currently there are two forces, namely, the authorities and the ANC,” he mentioned. “Why has not this third force been formed amid the three-year-long talks? Who’s to blame? Of course, it is the ANC, which, according to ones supportive of the idea of a third force, monopolized the opposition camp by leading the people.”
The ANC leader also noted that the supporters of a third force lack activity, as they are concerned over the prospect of a dialogue between the authorities and the ANC, which may result in early elections.
