"168 Zham": Arman Vardanyan not to run in the coming parliamentary elections.

According to circulating news, Arman Vardanyan, who not long ago headed Yerevan City Council`s "Prosperous Armenia" party [PAP], has decided to run his candidacy as MP with majority electoral system in N.2 precinct in Yerevan covering Nor-Nork community. During the talk with "168 Zham" daily Arman Vardanyan denied this information.

- Mr. Vardanyan, you were the head of Yerevan City Council's PAP fiction in 2009-2010, as well as the president of Education, Youth Affairs and Health Committee, but you suddenly refused all your positions. Will you explain the reason and detail in what you are engaged now?

During the years you mentioned in your question, my cooperation with the PAP was based on establishment support of local self-government institution in Yerevan city. The experience, which was accumulated as a result of cooperation with different countries` municipal authorities found its application in the management of the new model of Yerevan city. During the formation of PAP council`s pre-election list it was decided to be guided not with narrow partisan conjuncture but with professional selection logic. It means to include in the list people who are familiar with the local self-government institution from inside and have some political experience. This selection became more vivid when the RPA [Republican Party of Armenia] took the majority leaving its opponents with great extent non-determining minority. As a result of our work the party from non-determining minority turned into rebellious and dictating one, which opinion was taken into consideration in making every decision. 

To say the least, politics is non-profitable process if you have honest motives in it and you don`t view it as a quick way of getting rich. The time came when I finished my mission in Yerevan City Council and summarizing my activities, became involved in bigger international projects.

- During Yerevan City Council sessions your conflicts with mayor Gagik Beglaryan sometimes reached acute level. The media often referred to these conflicts...

Just as a result of these conflicts the city parliament was formed. In particular, in each collegian body, the existence of contradictions only testifies of positive process. Let`s remember the USSR when all the decisions were taken unanimously and with stormy applauses. In my opinion the 'debates' of such kind of method contributed to the stagnation and final degradation of that system. In its reviews the media often touched upon the personification of these contradictions, but they have always been within the frames of working disagreements. The Armenian National Congress did not take part in the city council activities and the all responsibility of counterbalancing lay on us. 

- Will you run in the upcoming parliamentary elections to be held on May?

Neither with majority nor with proportional electoral system I will run my candidacy in the upcoming elections, though, to be honest, I have received some suggestions. Campaign process, in essence, needs time resources, while being involved in international projects, I often leave the country. I refer to the NA legislative work very seriously and do not accept the approach of the parliamentarians who rare attend the NA sessions. Finality, politics is not limited within the National Assembly. 

- Did you receive suggestions from other parties too? 

Yes, I mentioned that I cooperated with the PAP but I was not a partisan. My work in Yerevan City Council was not as partisan but  as professional one.

- How you assess you work during these years?

In my opinion it will be immodesty from my point to make assessments. In order to get an objective assessment I offer to ask this question to the PAP.

P.S. During the talk with us PAP chairman Gagik Tsarukyan`s spokesman Khachik Galstyan highly assessed the cooperation with Arman Vardanyan, also qualified productive Vardanyan`s work in the position of the fiction`s head. Galstyan also underlined that Arman Vardanyan was a PAP supporter but never a partisan.