RPA continues to firmly stand on position of protecting national  values - Serzh Sargsyan 

ArmInfo.  The Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) has been an important player in the political arena of Armenia throughout the difficult years for the country, has been one of the leading forces ensuring stability and development in the country, and continues to firmly stand on the positions of preserving and protecting national values. This was stated by the third  President of Armenia, Chairman of the Republican Party Serzh Sargsyan  at the jubilee session of the RPA on the occasion of the 35th  anniversary of the founding of this political force.

According to him, the RPA has stood the test of both being in power  and being in opposition, contrary to those who harbor false illusions  about the elimination of the Republican Party from the political  arena of Armenia. Sargsyan acknowledged that the party had both  successes and omissions over these 35 years, noting that these  mistakes were not fatal for the Armenian state and people.

He then touched on the ethnic cleansing in Artsakh, noting that the  people of Artsakh were forcibly displaced and Artsakh was completely  surrendered to the enemy, which negated the enormous efforts and  sacrifices of the Armenian people over the past three decades.

Sargsyan recalled that the RPA executive body has repeatedly  emphasized that it is necessary to take appropriate steps to overcome  crisis situations, and pointed out the inadmissibility of conducting  a dialogue on issues of existential significance for the Armenian  people by a government that has lost its legitimacy, since it will  not lead to any positive results.

"We appealed to the Armenian public, the Armenians of Artsakh, the  Diaspora, Armenia's allies and partners to seriously assess the  situation, the consequences arising from it and to begin a series of  consolidated discussions and actions in order to stop the destructive  process. We called on international partners to be guided by their  previous statements on the rights of the Artsakh Armenians, to take  timely steps adequate to the situation, targeted and practical  measures to stop the criminal practices of Azerbaijan, to prevent a  new tragedy, as well as to bring Azerbaijan to the field of dialogue  to discuss the issues of the return of the Artsakh Armenians to their  homeland under international guarantees," the third President of  Armenia reminded again.

Sargsyan emphasized that after this catastrophe, the RPA directed all  its efforts and capabilities to solving various problems of the  Armenians of Artsakh, left without power by the will of the rulers of  Armenia. He added that, naturally, these efforts cannot be compared  with the state-approved, coordinated, long-term support programs that  were never implemented, which led to the emigration of many of our  compatriots from Armenia. The politician also noted that those  Artsakh residents who remained in the country, due to the  indifference and inaction of the rulers of Armenia, face numerous  problems every day: from a difficult social situation to the  protection of rights.

"Today we are being mercilessly criticized, or rather, slandered.  Those who took great pleasure in participating in the "coffins and  funeral wreaths" rallies against us during the well-known events,  demanded our removal, demonstratively welcomed these actions, and  some secretly rejoiced at the lawlessness committed against us by the  state repressive machine, demand action from us. Again and again they  deliberately throw out the thesis "you brought Nikol" in order to  cleanse their not so distant past. The past, which for some may have  been an honest mistake, with the expectation of miracles in life with  the change of power, and for others - a deliberate action, with the  aim of seizing power with the help of false promises," Sargsyan  noted.

According to the third president, "it no longer matters how useful  those who were mistaken and those who acted consciously were to each  other in that not so distant 2018, conducting a poisonous, dirty  campaign against me personally, the Republican Party and many of our  friends using the methods of 1937."

Sargsyan added that today, 7 years after those shameful events, every  second passerby on the street curses and hurls obscene language at  this capitulated government, and every third one curses himself for  his naivety in unconditional faith in the authorities.

The third president of Armenia also believes that those who say today  that in 2018 the government could have suppressed the protests by  force without handing over power to the "velvet revolutionaries" are  being disingenuous, since they understand perfectly well what kind of  chaos this would have dragged the country into.

"To those who accuse us, I will say only the following: admitting  one's mistake, and even more so correcting it, certainly requires  great courage. You understand perfectly well that your ardent  participation or complete indifference to your forced resignation  seven years ago makes you an accomplice to everything that has  happened since then.

Admitting your involvement, honestly admitting that every time you  participated in this matter, the usurper of power used you for his  long-term goals, is of course extremely difficult, but blaming  someone else is the easiest thing to do. So why not take the easy way  out?

At the last congress of our party, I already said that "no one forced  you in a herd of cows to kiss the forehead of the loudest screaming  donkey. Now, taking into account the latest events, I want to  continue my thought: "Do not tie the donkey you kissed to our door.  Everyone is responsible for the donkey whose forehead he kissed,"  said the third president of Armenia.