InternationalRadical opposition holds another "decisive" rally
Ter-Petrossian gives president an ultimatum, again
Published: Tuesday September 23, 2008
Yerevan -
The newly formed opposition Armenian National Congress helda rally on Monday, September 15 in central Yerevan. The rally, which wassanctioned by the city, drew between five and ten thousand participants,continuing the trend of dwindling participation in rallies called by formerpresident Levon Ter-Petrossian.
Monday was a state holiday.
Before the rally began, the deputy police chief of Yerevan,Col. AghasiKirakosian, spoke to Mr. Ter-Petrossian about a proposed march tofollow the rally. He "requested and demanded" that theyrefrain from holding the march, adding that he could guarantee security duringthe authorized rally but not during an unauthorized march.
Mr. Ter-Petrossian said, "Got it," and walked away. At theend of the rally, Armenian National Congress coordinator LevonZurabian announced, to the audible dismay of demonstrators, that nomarch would take place.
Organizers had heraldedthe rally as the kickoff of the "decisive" and "victorious" phase of theopposition's struggle -- which calls for new presidential and parliamentaryelections. Although the speakers, including Mr. Ter-Petrossian, were asstrident as ever in their criticism of the president and the "kleptocracy," they did not in fact call for any extraordinary measures.
Davit Shahnazarian, one of the leaders of theopposition movement and an in-law of Mr. Ter-Petrossian's, announced that nowwas not the time for decisive action. He said organizing the Armenian NationalCongress was a priority.
A member of the board ofthe New Times Party, Hrachia Sargsian, had announced days earlier that he would bejoining the congress as an individual; he was immediately expelled from theparty. But the leader of the New Times Party, AramKarapetian, was present at therally and spoke. He declined, however, the request of the Armenian Reporter to discuss the party's rift over joining the Armenian NationalCongress. The New Times Party received 3 percent of the vote in the May 2007parliamentary elections. (Among the parties that endorsed Mr. Ter-Petrossian'scandidacy in the February 2008 presidential elections, only the Heritage Partyhad fared better, with 6 percent of the vote in May 2007.)
In a 45-minute speech, Mr. Ter-Petrossian argued that "thenature of the kleptocratic regime" in Armenia had not changed, and he warnedthat owing to the "criminal economic policy" of the government, the people ofArmenia should expect "a difficult winter" and "by early spring, a crisissituation."
He observed "cracks," however, in the "kleptocratic pyramid." Specifically, he cited differenceswithin the ruling Republican Party, which has pushed its vice-president, Tigran Torossian, out of his role as Speaker of parliament; unsubstantiated rumors thatformer president Robert Kocharian hopes to return to politics as prime minister;and the fact that the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, a member-party of thegoverning coalition, organized a mass protest against Turkish policies duringthe visit of Turkey's president last week.
In the form of an ultimatum, Mr. Ter-Petrossian offered thepresident a truce. Mr. Sargsian should arrange for "political prisoners" to befreed and for "a true, not artificial, dialogue with society and itsrepresentatives," he said, referring to himself. "That would change theatmosphere entirely. That would show the West that in such cases, whereKarabakh is threatened, on such national issues, Armenia is able to set asidethe most serious domestic differences, come together, and united, as a nation,resist external pressures. This is the only way. If Serge Sargsian takesanother route, that means he, for the sake of his egotistical interests, isselling both the Genocide and Nagorno-Karabakh, and ultimately, our belovedhomeland, the Republic of Armenia."
The next "decisive" rally is set for September 26, two daysbefore elections for the district head of Yerevan's Center district. TheArmenian National Congress is running a candidate, Ararat Zurabian,in that election. Mr. Zurabian held the position during Mr. Ter-Petrossian'spresidency.
