An interview with RK.

A Mediamax agency exclusive interview with former Armenian President Robert Kocharian

Q. Mr. Kocharian, most of his last speech at a rally on July 4 Levon Ter-Petrosyan devoted to your criticism. What do you think, why was it?

A. It's the loser's complex speaking in him. After all, he has lost twice and he is not manly enough to lose with dignity. Besides, it's always convenient to direct his radicalism against a former president. In 1998 I did not do so, because I think such behavior is unworthy. This is a behavior of a small and angry man. Sometimes I feel sorry for him.

Q. It is obvious that the first President of Armenia showed an extremely hostile attitude towards you and transparent hints at the possibility of cooperating with the authorities under certain conditions. Do you think these are tactical moves, or a deliberate strategy?

A. I am sure, Levon Ter-Petrosyan is aware that he has irrevocably lost the elections. He thinks he lost to me but it is not so. As the then acting president, I only fulfilled my duty by protecting and restoring constitutional order in the country.

Ter-Petrosyan simply can not withdraw from the area of radical opposition. He will not be allowed by his owners and creditors. And radicalism should be targeted at something. So he is making an effort. Perhaps, it also seem to him that the authorities will like these actions and that way he will earn a forgiveness for the March 1 crime, and at the same time have the opportunity to freely cockscomb at rallies. It is a possible tactical calculation.

In terms of strategy I do not rule out that he continues to see me as his main political rival in future political battles. I think he once again is wrong - both in tactics and strategy.

Q. The address by Ter-Petrossian was full of flaws during your presidency. The point was that you destroyed everything that was possible to destroy. What do you say about that?

A. In the speech there is so much delirium that it does not make sense to provide an explanation for each item.Very soon a book with a set of factual material about the period of my presidency will be published. This will be pure statistics, without emotion. That will answer all the questions about the effectiveness of my work. Any country and any president can be proud of such pace of development . It would be amusing to publish the same book, based on evidence, about the period of Ter-Petrossian presidency. Let people compare. After all, he and HHSh did not leave a bright memory among people, did not build anything that could show today. They are the types who remain in history as effective destroyers. Sometimes Ter-Petrosian loses sense of proportion so that you begin to doubt his sanity. Perhaps his psyche simply does not stand up to stress.

Q. Perhaps there is a need from time to time to remind people that has been done and when? After all, those who are now 18-20 years old may simply not remember all this.

A. This is a question of responsibility and decency in politicians. By the way, not only the opposition. The temptation to lie to the youth may be among the authorities and the opposition.

I am curious about Ter-Petrossian's vision. When he takes part in rallies, where he is looking? After all, he does not see any new buildings erected during his reign. These simply do not exist in nature. Even if he only looks under his feet, he cannot not see that he is walking on good asphalt and well-lit streets. That there are more and more cars, and basically they are good foreign models. If he bothers to look up, then he will see the beautiful shop windows, cafes, restaurants and many more interesting things. If he makes an effort, he will remember that during his time none of that was there. The asphalt was broken, the streets were dark. I simply do not want to recall the shops, cafes and restaurants not to spoil the mood of our citizens.

Curiously, when members of his family and close ones walk on Northern Avenue, do they tell him about it? It's interesting also: does he go to Gyumri rally blindfolded or what? Amnesia and "poor vision" for a politician - this is almost a diagnosis.

Q. The press supporting Ter-Petrossian has consistently pursued the idea that you continue to rule the country.

A. This is complete nonsense. If this were the case, Ter-Petrosyan would have likely been put behind bars for criminality (by the way, I would have corrected my mistake of 1998). And certainly, President of Turkey would not have been invited to a soccer game in Yerevan.

The purpose of such publications is to create additional problems for the authorities . The countries must be managed by those who are responsible for it as written in the Constitution. The power and responsibility are inseparable and can not be in the shadow. This is my deep conviction.