Ter-Petrosian last week publicly called on Sarkisian and the other former Armenian president, Robert Kocharian, to lead a broad-based opposition alliance in an attempt to unseat Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian.
Both men turned down the proposal before Ter-Petrosian suggested that the political parties led by him and Sarkisian set up an electoral bloc without Kocharian’s participation. Sarkisian did not accept that proposal either, saying through his office that “the bilateral alliance cannot be effective.”
The office made clear that Sarkisian’s Republican Party (HHK) will team up instead with the Fatherland party of Artur Vanetsian, a former head of Armenia’s National Security Service (NSS).
Ara Sahakian, a senior Fatherland member, told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service that the bloc might join forces Ter-Petrosian’s Armenian National Congress (HAK) party.
“I don’t exclude that new alliances or transformations will materialize,” he said. “Events are developing very rapidly and everything is possible.”
Sahakian, who had served as a deputy parliament speaker during Ter-Petrosian’s 1991-1998 presidency, voiced strong support for the idea of an alliance of the three ex-presidents but cautioned that their relationships remain “very complicated.”
“We have always wanted them to be united, not divided, so that we and other political groups can rally around them. So it’s up to the three of them to decide,” he said.
In a statement released on Friday, Ter-Petrosian claimed that the creation such an alliance is the only way to oust “Pashinian’s criminal and nation-destroying regime.” He again said that none of the ex-president should aspire to the post of prime minister.
Speaking on Sunday, Kocharian insisted that he, Sarkisian and Ter-Petrosian can jointly “fight against these authorities” even without forming a single bloc.