YEREVAN, DECEMBER 20, ARMENPRESS. Former Defense Minister of Armenia Seyran Ohanyan announced that he is going to actively participate in the upcoming parliamentary elections, reports “Armenpress”.

Seyran Ohanyan issued a statement where he says he cannot indifferently follow the ongoing military-political developments in the county since he headed the Defense Ministries of the NKR and Armenia for 17 years.

“When a new governing system is being formed in the country in connection with the constitutional changes, every capable force, a citizen, a political party has a right and has to serve his potential for hat developments.

I inform you that I have said goodbye to the ministerial status quietly and without emotions, later I have rejected all the high positions offered to me since I want to personally input my experience, knowledge and efforts in order to reach changes in the internal –political life of our country. I have made a decision to actively take part in the political and in particular, the electoral processes guided by the idea of “for the sake of”, for the sake of state security, implementation of national ideas”, he said in a statement.  

He said for him submitting an application in the political processes is not an end in itself, rather, it is a new manifestation of serving the Fatherland. “Various stances and pluralism are important in political governing systems which later serve the basis for new realignments and regroupings. If there is no second opinion, from which to select the best? I strongly reject when the opinions and views of political figures turn into an extreme conflict and mutual hatred. All political forces and figures entering the election campaign must show mutual respect towards each other. After the constitutional changes, the role and significance of the upcoming parliamentary elections is significantly different from the other ones since a transformation has been made to the parliamentary governing system. The presidential and parliamentary elections will be replaced by one, parliamentary elections, as a result of which the legislative, as well as the executive leadership will be formed”, Seyran Ohanyan said.

Attaching importance to the upcoming developments, Ohanyan said he has started a series of consultations with political figures, NGOs, famous figures, intellectuals. “My goal is to actively participate in the 2017 parliamentary elections by forming a team of supporters, to find an effective format for political participation which will present to the public a realistic program aiming at establishing new quality political and economic system in Armenia. During my further activities, as in the previous one, I will always stand together with my people, my fellow servicemen, intellectuals, students, and residents living near the border”, he said, adding that in near future he will present his plans and provisions through which he will be guided in his political activity.