In an interview with “Hayots Ashkhar”, political analyst Alexander Iskandarian questions Levon Ter-Petrosian’s desire to make a comeback to big politics: “He is quite a serious politician who made a notable contribution to the establishment of Armenian statehood and, no doubt, he is not a fool, he is realistic and understands well the logic of political processes. He is unlikely to give in to people who are trying to use his name to achieve their political goals.”

The analyst of “Haykakan Zhamanak” writes on the same subject: “It is obvious that there is a growing interest towards Levon Ter-Petrosian at present. One thing appears to be clear – Ter-Petrosian, indeed, is giving a serious thought to whether return to politics or not, and dozens of factors would influence his decision. By the way, there is an opinion in the political and public circles that Ter-Petrosian will not return to politics unless he is sure he will win in the upcoming presidential election and the authorities appear to be doing everything to dispel his assuredness.”

Of course, it should be noted that Haykakan Zhamanak, the newspaper edited (until recently?) by Impeachment’s Nikol Pashinian, has always been considered sympathetic to the former first president. And while some opposition supporters in the media and civil society consider Iskandarian to be sympathetic towards the authorities and Kocharian in particular, I nonetheless tend to agree with his analysis for now at least.

Certainly, faced with the absence of any real leadership in the opposition, it seems somewhat ironic that some opposition parties and supporters are looking towards the past rather than the future.

Commenting on the recent visits by the first president of Armenia, Levon Ter-Petrosian, to different regions of Armenia, member of the political council of the Hanrapetutyun party Smbat Ayvazian tells “Aravot”: “Levon Ter-Petrosian seems to be trying to get a better idea of the situation in the country. He tries to listen to people in different areas, to learn their viewpoints. Those who accompany him in the regions see that people demand his return to big politics… and I he will certainly do that.”

Anyway, the mention of his Ter Petrosian’s name as well as that of Vano’s at the first rallies, along with the fact that former HHSh figures were involved, made me wonder at the time if Aylentrak and Impeachment hadn’t been set up for one reason and one reason only.

That is, to prepare the ground and test the water for LTP’s possible return. Well, the results were obvious. The population didn’t care or didn’t want, and Impeachment failed to even pass 5 percent threshold in the election. Still, they certainly don’t appear to have given up.

RFE/RL has this little tidbit on LTP and his recent travels into the regions of Armenia with other political forces from the “radical” opposition.

“Aravot” writes that Armenia’s first president Levon Ter-Petrosian visited Ijevan on August 3. He was accompanied by representatives of the board of the former ruling Armenian National Movement (HHSh), the Hanrapetutyun party and the Impeachment alliance. The meeting participants assured “Aravot” that it was only ‘a meeting of friends’. But suggestions that Ter-Petrosian should be nominated as a candidate in the 2008 presidential election still were made during that meeting.

The Armenian Observer also posted an entry on these visits at the time here.