Former president says he did not secretly cooperate with Prosperous Armenia party

YEREVAN, April 8. / ARKA /. Former Armenian president Robert Kocharyan shrugged off allegations that he had secretly cooperated with Gagik Tsarukyan, the leader of the Prosperous Armenia Party.

"I have closely followed the political processes of the recent years, but never was involved in any. I had good relationships with Gagik Tsarukyan, but did not have secret agreements on our future cooperation format,’ Kocharian says in an interview posted on his unofficial website.

"It is also obvious that I could not cooperate with the alliance of the three minority parties established several months ago. If the Prosperous Armenia party had served my interests there would not have been such a format at all,” he added.

In early March Gagik Tsarukyan resigned as chairman of Prosperous Armenia Party, the country’s largest opposition party and announced his retirement from “active politics.” An emergency congress of the party chose Naira Zohrabyan as the party’s new chairperson. 

These developments followed a February 12  meeting of the executive board of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia, when president Serzh Sargsyan lashed out at his former coalition partner Tsarukyan describing him as ‘a scourge for the country who lacks intelligence, skills and education to govern Armenia.’ 

Sargsyan told prime minister Hovik Abrahamyan to instruct corresponding bodies to thoroughly investigate the veracity of “unverified reports” implicating Tsarukyan in large-scale tax evasion. 

In retaliation to Sargsyan’s crackdown, the leader of the Prosperous Armenia Party said the following day that the current situation in the country requires solution and 'the only solution is a complete change of power through extraordinary presidential elections.' 

Gagik Tsarukyan said also he was offered the post of president of the country but only after constitutional reforms that would turn Armenia into a parliamentary republic. 

He claimed that the reform is aimed at enabling Sargsyan to stay in power after the end of his second and final presidential term in 2018.  Tsarukyan said he declined the offer causing Sargsyan’s anger. 

According to Kocharyan, the destruction of the Prosperous Armenia party has made life easier for the authorities, but it has increased political monopoly in the country having also exacerbated all other problems, like the dwindling foreign exchange reserves and the growing external debt. 

Kocharyan argued that the second issue of Eurobonds at 7.5% interest rate is an indication of the poor state of the economy nearing the threat of bankruptcy of the country with the government taking no effective steps to radically change the situation. 

The ex-president also commented on a framework agreement on Iranian nuclear program saying the West’s decision to lift sanction from Iran will open up new opportunities for Armenian economy.

‘Low prices for hydrocarbons will deprive Azerbaijan of the capacity to build up its military capabilities as the government in Baku will have to use the lion's share of oil and gas revenues on maintaining social stability. This will cool down Azerbaijan’s military rhetoric,’ Kocharian said.-0-