YEREVAN. - Former Defense Minister of Armenia Seyran Ohanyan has commented on why he left the state system and his decision on submitting a political claim ahead of the parliamentary elections.

''In order to be frank I would like all of you to look at the not very far past—the Soviet state—and try drawing parallels with the current situation. As a professional serviceman I started my service in the USSR army. None of us can deny that the USSR was once the most powerful and developed state. Questions on the deep issues it had and what led to the collapse of the state belong to another field of political analyses but it is apparent that the unpromising policy of the Soviet Union ruling elite resulted in the exacerbation of the inter-political situation and intra-national clashes, this resulting in self-destruction.

The Soviet Union officers had no right to meddle in inter-political and intra-national issues.

As a serviceman, I was the bearer and pioneer of the Soviet ideology but this didn't keep me from making a correct decision when our national security was threatened, and my co-thinkers and me stood up for the defense of Artsakh. There was no lack of critics and opponents then. But I couldn't watch from afar my unarmed people resisting the forced encroachments.  I faced a dilemma: to choose the simple option of not meddling in intra-national clashes, leaving with my regiment located in the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR/Artsakh) and retain my position, or the difficult one, that is to leave the USSR army, become an ordinary freedom fighter, risk my life and take part in national struggle. I chose the hard one. In fact, I was a serviceman during 17 out of those 27 years.

Now we also live in very dangerous times, and facing another choice I have again chosen the hard one. My goal is not to participate in theatre performances in the political field but unite patriotic forces concerned about their homeland and look for ways for the people's security. I don't regret turning down the high offices offered to me,'' Ohanyan said in the video posted on YouTube.