ARF MP Armen Roustamyan today told reporters that Armenia needs comprehensive system-wide reforms that can only be achieved with regime change.

Asked if this means that President Sargsyan must leave office, Roustamyan avoided giving a direct answer.

“We must be certain that systematic changes follow any personnel changes. We speak from bitter experience and have seen that people have been replaced but the system hasn’t changes as a result,” Roustamyan said.

The ARF MP added that there are people in the government than can assist the implementation of reforms, if they are presented logically, and even regime change.

Aghvan Vardanyan, secretary of the ARF’s parliamentary faction, said that the party’s political package envisages systematic changes in the economic, social and foreign affairs sectors.

“It’s [the package] only seven points, one and a half pages, but each point has been crafted. That’s why we place importance on the unity of social-political forces. We want to convince them that this package is a way to achieve radical change in the country,” Vardanyan told reporters.

Roustamyan outlined the future political role of the ARF in the following way.

If the new government does not adopt the party’s seven point program, the ARF will remain in the opposition camp. In this case, however, if their opposition partners do not accept the ARF’s approach, the party sees little prospects for long-term cooperation.

Roustamyan added that as of now such long-tem cooperation with other opposition parties is under threat.

Photo: Aghvan Vardanyan