Presidential Elections 2008 In Armenia March 1

[AVO]

Sut chen Mosjan bayts shatttttt chapazantsvats.

 

U hents et chisht@ gunavor heqiatner sarqelua hamara vor martik el chshtin chen havatum.

Edited March 19, 2008 by AVO

[MosJan]

Isk ver@ nshvats martik giten te Sumgaitum incha katarvel?

 

yerevi liovin chgiten - sakayn mezanist lav giten te erevanum inch e katarvum

[MosJan]

Sut chen Mosjan bayts shatttttt chapazantsvats.

 

U hents et chisht@ gunavor heqiatner sarqelua hamara vor martik el chshtin chen havatum.

 

de da arden jurnalisty h@zor yerevakayutyan het kapvats harst e

[garmag]

Evidently, we should get a variety of reports to come out as a result of the confrontations.

Unfortunatly, one will be bloodier then the other...triggering more emotive outburst and violent re-actions.

When you have deaths and arrests this is to be expected.

 

However, I wish to point out the very precarious and dangerous situation that Armenia is facing in the next couple of weeks.

 

This is not a matter as to who was to blame...

 

It is the very existance of Armenia that is threatened by the instigation and the creation of "YEGHBAYRASBAN GRIV".

 

Our enemies had succeeded doing just that ...in the past.

Should we allow them to wait and rejoice for the pickings... of what's left from a ruinous fratricidal blood-letting...?

 

If this forum represents a cross section of Armenians at large, what do we do to stop the calamity facing us?

 

[Johannes]

ՀՀՇ-Ն ՄԻ ՆՈՐ ՆԱԻՐԻ ՀՈՒՆԱՆՅԱ՞Ն Է ԳՏԵԼ

•  

  http://www.armtown.com/img/photo/has_am_245779309.jpgԱհաբեկչությունը որպես ուղիղ ճանապարհ

   

   

   

  Ընդհատակում գտնվող Նաիրի Հունանյանը, ներեցեք՝ Նիկոլ Փաշինյանը, օրերս տպագրված խմբագրական հոդվածում զգուշացնում է. «Եթե մարդիկ, հայաստանցիները համոզվեն, որ խաղաղ ճանապարհով հնարավոր չէ ավազակապետական զույգին հեռացնել իշխանությունից, իսկ նման խաղաղ զարգացման վերջին հույսը ՀՀ առաջին նախագահ Լեւոն Տեր-Պետրոսյանն է եւ նրա ղեկավարած շարժումը, ահա եթե կորսվի խաղաղ իշխանափոխության հույսը, հաստատ կգտնվեն մարդիկ, ովքեր կտրվեն Կալաշնիկովի զորությանը»։

   

  Զգուշացում-սպառնալիքը սրանով չի ավարտվում։ Նիկոլը նաեւ վստահեցնում է, որ Կալաշնիկովի զորությամբ ահաբեկչություն իրականացնելու «հեռանկարը այսօր իրական է, քան երբեւէ»։

   

  Ահա այսպես. Տեր-Պետրոսյանի քարոզչապետերից ու շարժման գլխավոր դերակատարներից մեկը օրը ցերեկով, հրապարակավ հայտարարում է առաջիկայում սպասվելիք հերթական «ինքնաբուխ» ակցիայի՝ ահաբեկչական ակտ իրականացնելու մասին։

   

  Մի կողմ թողնենք խոսքի ազատության վերաբերյալ զանազան «ֆրիդոմ հաուզ»-ների կողմից մեր երկրին մշտապես տրվող գնահատականները, որոնք «մասամբ ազատից» այն կողմ չեն անցնում։ Ավելին՝ տեղ-տեղ էլ արձանագրում են, թե Հայաստանում խստորեն սահմանափակված կամ բռնադատված է ազատ խոսքը։ Ինչը, սակայն, չի խանգարում, որ հհշական թերթերում ազատորեն տիրաժավորվի ահաբեկչության կոչ. «Հաստատ կգտնվեն մարդիկ, ովքեր կտրվեն Կալաշնիկովի զորությանը»։

   

  Տվյալ պահին առավել կարեւոր է պարզել, թե թաքստոցում նստած Նիկոլը ի՞նչ հիմքով է նման պնդում անում։

   

  Եթե մեկը այդքան վստահորեն ազդարարում է, որ կգտնվեն կալաշնիկավորներ, ովքեր կլուծեն իշխանափոխության հարցը, նշանակում է հհշականների վարձու մարդասպանները, Տեր-Սահակյանի բանդայի օրինակով, արդեն գործի են անցել՝ ճշգրտում են հիմնական թիրախների շարժը, գործողությունների պլան են մշակում՝ որոշելու, թե կոնկրետ այս կամ այն անձին որտեղ է նպատակահարմար վերացնել՝ տան մուտքի մո՞տ, աշխատավայրո՞ւմ, թե՞ ծառայողական մեքենային հետապնդելիս։

   

  Եթե մեկը այդքան համոզվածությամբ պնդում է ինքնադատաստանի դիմելու քայլերի մասին, նշանակում է՝ մարտի 1-ից հետո իրավապահների կողմից հայտնաբերված զենք-զինամթերքը ամբողջը չէ, եւ դեռ հհշական-երկրապահական զինապահեստներում ռազմամթերքի որոշակի քանակություն պահպանվում է։

   

  Ի դեպ. Նիկոլի այս հայտարարությունից հետո «խաղաղ հանրահավաքների» ու «խաղաղ ցուցարարների» մասին շարժման առաջնորդ Տեր-Պետրոսյանի եւ զինակիցների պնդումները ուղղակի կարելի է զառանցանք համարել։ Եթե մեկը Կալաշնիկովի զորությանն է ապավինում, նշանակում է՝ ելնում է սեփական փորձից։ Մարտի 1-ին տեղի ունեցած զանգվածային անկարգությունների ժամանակ չէ՞ որ հրամանատարությունն իր ձեռքը վերցրած Նիկոլի հոգին փառավորվում էր՝ տեսնելով, թե ինչպես են շարժման ագրեսիվ ակտիվիստները այլ զինատեսակներին ապավինած, ինքնադատաստանի ակցիաներ իրականացնում մայրաքաղաքի կենտրոնում։

   

  Եւ վերջապես, եթե մեկը խոսում է Կալաշնիկովից՝ հարազատ հայացքը չկտրելով հունանյանական ձեռագրից, նշանակում է «Հոկտեմբերի 27»-ի գլխավոր ահաբեկչի գաղափարակիցն ու համախոհն է։

   

  Ի դեպ, 1998-ից հետո էլ տեղի ունեցած «պալատական հեղաշրջման» փաստը, մեղմ ասած, հանգիստ չէր տալիս հհշականներին։ Ոչ մի կերպ կատարված իրողության հետ հաշտվել չէին կարողանում, ինչի համար հհշականները մեղադրում էին Վազգեն Սարգսյանին, որի նկատմամբ իրենց ունեցած ֆիզիկական ատելությունն անգամ չէին թաքցնում։ Եւ ի՞նչ։ Տեղի ունեցավ «Հոկտեմբերի 27»-ի ահաբեկչությունը։

   

  Այն ժամանակ «պալատական հեղաշրջման» փաստը անընդունելի համարեցին, իսկ հիմա էլ արդեն «խաղաղ իշխանափոխության» հասնելու ճանապարհն են փակուղային համարում։

   

  Սակայն ամեն ինչ այնքան անհուսալի չէ, ինչպես թվում է։ Այնուամենայնիվ Նիկոլն ու ազատագրիչները իրավիճակից դուրս գալու ելքը թեեւ աղոտ, բայց տեսնում են։ Կալաշնիկովի փողի միջից ելքը պարզորոշ երեւում է։

• ԿԻՄԱ ԵՂԻԱԶԱՐՅԱՆ
• http://www.armtown.com/news/am/has/20080411/245779309/

[Ashot]

LET'S RID OF MARCH 1 SCARS WITH JOINT EFFORTS

Many people were shocked after seeing Arthur Avagian's photo on our website. The photo was taken in a hospital on the night March 1.

 

Arthur fell a victim to the authorities’ “brilliant operation” on March 1. He still remembers a shining object flying fast in front of him. Then his head shook as if dashing out. He remembers holding his head with his two hands and shouting with all his might hoping to stop the shakes. Then r felt something filling his mouth. He spat out blood and his own teeth. He Arthur doesn’t remember the rest.

 

Employees of “Armenia” medical center found Arthur near a sports complex. Arthur was immediately taken to hospital where he underwent a major operation of seven hours’ duration.

 

Doctors worked wonders and saved Arthur’s life. The epicrisis was awful: “bullet wounds on the face and neck, traumatic shock, sub maxillary laceration, rupture of an upper lip and mouth, blemish of tissues, rupture of mucous membrane, fracture of a lower jaw.

 

In the evening of March 1 Arthur Avagian had gone out to fetch his friends when he was caught “in the meat-grinder” at the intersection of Lusavorich-Zakian streets.

 

Today Arthur needs a plastic operation to cure severe wounds. Besides, he faces serious problems with eating and speaking.

 

Arthur needs a serious medical treatment to overcome the psychological stress and restore his health.

 

Before the disputed events of March 1 Arthur went in for wrestling and had a favorite occupation. Today he is deprived of everything and ill-disposed to his future.

 

Arthur Avagian, born in 1986, is a goldsmith. He has never taken interest or been engaged in politics. Today he can neither do sports nor work because of a poor health state. Arthur needs a serious treatment. He has to shoulder the burden and keep himself going all alone.

 

The authorities haven't even made inquiries about Arthur who became invalid as a result of their “fruitful operation.”

 

March 1 events will continue until we neglect people like Arthur, until the real criminals opening fire at innocent people are left unpunished.

 

A1+ turns to all specialists in Armenia and overseas who might be helpful to cure Arthur completely and restore him to life. The treatment also suggests financial support.

 

Help Arthur to rid of the scars reminding him of the March 1 bloody events.

 

Help our society to recover from the March 1 tragedy.

 

A1Plus am is going to open an account. All those who wish to help the poor boy are welcome to have a share.

 

Follow the news on A1Plus.am

[Ashot]

COURT MADE A POLITICAL DECISION

 

[03:07 pm] 13 June, 2008

 

On June 13 the Court of General Jurisdiction of Shirak Marz found Ashot Zakarian, Petros Makeyan and Shota Saghatelian guilty under Article 2 of the RoA Criminal Court / “Interference in the fulfillment of the right to vote, in the activities of election commissions or in the duties of the persons participating in the election/.

 

The court sentenced Makeyan to 3 years’ and the other two to 2.6 years’ imprisonment.

 

The court decided to put Shota Saghatelian on probation for two years, and set him free from the courtroom in accordance with Article 70 of the Criminal Code.

 

A1Plus

[Ashot]

NA IS PREPARING FOR CO-RAPPORTEURS’ ARRIVAL

 

[04:26 pm] 13 June, 2008

 

Georges Colombier (France) and John Prescott (United Kingdom), the co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on the monitoring of Armenia’s obligations and commitments, will arrive in Armenia on June 16.

 

On June 16 the co-rapporteurs will meet with the special representative of the CoE Secretary General Bojana Urumova.

 

At the National Assembly the co-rapporteurs will meet with NA Speaker Tigran Torossian, the head of the Armenian delegation to the PACE Davit Harutiunian and the leader of the Zharangutiun faction Raffi Hovannissian.

 

On the same day they will meet with Armenia’s Serzh Sarkissian, FM Edward Nalbandian, Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovsepian, Huamn Rights Ombudsman Armen Harutiunian, the members of the working group which coordinates the implementation of PACE Resolution 1609, Levon Ter-Petrossian and the attorneys of the arrested opposition activists.

 

On June 17 George Colombier will meet with the representatives of the non-parliamentary forces, NGOs, the wives, mothers, sisters of those arrested for the events of March 1 and 2.

 

At the National Assembly they will have meetings with the representatives of the political coalition and the National Assembly working group for the Election Code amendments.

 

On the same day the co-rapporteur will meet with the secretary of the National Security Council Arthur Baghdasarian.

 

A joint meeting with the coordinator of the OSCE/ODIHR monitoring group tracing people arrested after the presidential elections Dmitry Narumov, the Department of Public Relations of the National Assembly reports.

 

A1Plus

[Ashot]

“ROBBERY UNDER ASTONISHING TOLERANCE OF POLICE”

[06:27 pm] 20 June, 2008

 

Why was there state of emergency declared in Armenia on March 1? “According to the official version it was inevitable as a result of violations and armed attack on the law-enforcement bodies, whereas the latter did not use their weapons”, declare members of the Armenian-French association of lawyers and continue: “Various data make you cast doubt on the authenticity of the facts.”

 

-The films show that the law-enforcements bodies used weapons and shot luminous bullets the use of which is still strictly regulated.

 

-Several victims were killed or injured on Leo Street, a hundred meters from the demonstration site, behind the police circle. Taking into consideration the location of the street you can hardly believe that a dozen people could have risen such a revolt that the authorities had to exert such a pressure on them.

 

-The bullet lodged some of the victims in the back; therefore one cannot believe that they were shot by snipers.

 

-Some of the victims were not pro-oppositionists and never took part in the rallies.

 

-Shop burglaries were committed on Mashtots Avenue, which is rather far from the demonstration site. Besides it all happened under astonishing tolerance on the side of the police.

 

The Armenian-French association of lawyers gave a report on February and March events in Yerevan. It also carried out an investigatory and observing mission on May 7-12.

 

A1+

[Ashot]

“JUDGES SHOULD FOLLOW PACE RESOLUTION”

 

[02:12 pm] 03 July, 2008

 

“Groundless accusations and false criminal actions,” Advocate Amalia Avagian qualified the criminal cases initiated on the March 1-2 occurrences this way. “My assessment is based on the false testimony given by policemen-witnesses. The policemen had no right to be called to an examination, as they had detained the defendants and drawn up protocols. In other words, they had launched their personal inquiry into the case.”

 

Amalia Avagian presented the interests of Khachik Gasparian and Avetik Nersissian detained in connection with the March 1 unrest. Khachik Gasparian was put on probation while Avetik Nersissian was justified and released. Now she defends Armen Avagian’s interest in the RoA Appellate Court.

 

“I see the same handwriting and the same scenario. Even the eye-witnesses, policemen, are the same. I find the charges deliberate. Only the names are changed, nothing else,” she says.

 

Asked why the cases are investigated separately if they have similarities, Amalia Avagian said, “It is done on purpose. If they united the cases they would have to justify all the detainees.”

 

Amalia Avagian points out the peculiarity of the cases trusted to her. “No witness for the defendant has been examined. The charged are based on the testimony given by three policemen. I cannot foresee the further steps taken by the court. Under PACE Resolution 1620 all detainees taken into custody on basis of policemen’s testimony should be freed and the cases should be dismissed. I think that the court should follow the recommendation,” she adds.

 

A1Plus

[Arpa]

LTP emigrating?

I may have referred to this before but I can’t find where.

Some time ago there were persistent rumors that LTP had applied to emigrate to Israel based on the fact his wife being of jewish ancestry would automatically qualify. This would have been before 1988, but then the Artsakh saga began and Armenia became independent and he became the president. I also expressed the opinion that in the aftermath of March 1 incidents I would not be surprised if LTP would consider leaving Armenia.

And now we read the following.

How reliable is Hayots Ashkharh?

=====

TER-PETROSYAN'S FAMILIY LEAVES ARMENIA

 

Hayots Ashkhar Daily

Published on July 04, 2008

Armenia

 

"Hayots Ashkarh" has already informed the reader that L.

 

Ter-Petrosyan will leave Armenia in case his political programs

fall flat.

 

And our prediction is coming true.

 

According to reliable information, yesterday, on June 3,

Mrs. Lyudmila Ter-Petrosyan, the wife of the leader of the native

liberation movement, Lilit Ter-Petrosyan, his daughter-in-law,

and his three grandchildren left for the United States by

the Yerevan-Paris-Los-Angeles flight. By the way, they all had

one-way tickets, together with a big luggage. One may assume that

Mr. Ter-Petrosyan's family has left for the United States either for

a long time or forever. And what's more, this was unknown even to

the closest co-thinkers of the leader.

 

So, the second stage of the evacuation of Ter-Petrosyan's family is

over. Let's note that as a result of the first stage, his son David

Ter-Petrosyan left Armenia in December 2007 and has been living abroad

ever since. First, he left for the United States and then went to the

United Arab Emirates and Russia where he was going to settle the bank

accounts of his family and transfer the major part of the existing

sums to the bank accounts opened in the United States.

 

Besides, David Ter-Petrosyan has started implementing serious business

programs in Los Angeles. He has already managed to buy a private

house and has no intention to return to Armenia.

Edited July 6, 2008 by Arpa

[Ashot]

and what about Serzh's family, do they mention of that???

[Ashot]

HAMLET ABRAHAMIAN RECOGNIZED “NOT GUILTY”

 

[07:13 pm] 04 July, 2008

 

Minutes ago Hamlet Abrahamian, a rally participant, was recognized “Not Guilty” by the Kentron and Nork-Marash General Jurisdiction Court and was released from the detention cell.

 

Hamlet Abrahamian was accused under Article 316 /using violence against the authorities/ and had been detained since March 1. As the witnesses (policemen from Mashtots Police Department) claimed they were not beaten by Hamlet Abrahamian but they had seen him beating other people.

 

After the verdict was announced the relatives and friends of Hamlet Abrahamian took him out of the court-room on their hands.

 

A1Plus

[MosJan]

AVETISSIAN SENTENCED TO SIX MONTHS IMPRISONMENT

 

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article's photo

 

Aslan Avetissian, resident of Ararat region, member of the Yerkrapah Volunteer Union (YKM) and Levon Ter-Petrossian’s proxy, was sentenced to a six months’ imprisonment on July 16. The verdict was brought in by Court of General Jurisdiction of Kentron and Nork-Marash districts after a four hours’ consultation.

 

Aslan Avetissian was charged with calls for mass disorders and threats against policemen /Article 225 of the RoA CC/.

 

Note, Prosecutor Hovsep Sarkissian had requested to sentence Avetissian to a 1, 6-year imprisonment. Avetissian didn’t plead guilty of the crime.

 

Advocate Liparit Simonian finds the verdict unfair. He is going to appeal the verdict in a higher instance. Simonian says courts are not independent in Armenian.

 

[MosJan]

Armenian Unrest Shooters ‘Identified’

 

By Ruzanna Stepanian

 

Law-enforcement authorities have identified security officers, who shot and killed opposition protesters during the post-election clashes in Yerevan, and are now determining whether the use of lethal force was justified, a senior investigator said on Tuesday.

 

At least eight civilians and two interior troops were killed as security forces tried to disperse thousands of supporters of opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosian who barricaded themselves at a vast street intersection outside the Yerevan mayor’s office on March 1. The clashes, the worst in Armenia’s history, followed the break-up earlier in the day of Ter-Petrosian’s non-stop demonstrations in the city’s Liberty Square against official results of the February 19 disputed presidential election.

 

According to the Special Investigative Service (SIS), a law-enforcement agency subordinated to Armenia’s Office of the Prosecutor-General, three of the civilian victims were killed by tear gas grenades fired by riot police from a very shory distance. Prosecutor-General Aghvan Hovsepian claimed earlier this month that the investigators still do not know which police officers mishandled the riot equipment.

 

Neither Hovsepian nor any other law-enforcement official has so far publicly commented on the circumstances in which the five other civilians died. In an interview with RFE/RL, Vahagn Harutiunian, a senior SIS official leading the controversial official inquiry into the unrest, said the investigators have finally identified and questioned officers who shot them.

 

“All of them are known,” he said. “All of them have been interrogated. The investigation is continuing.”

 

Citing “the interests of the investigation,” Harutiunian refused to reveal the identity of the shooters or specify which security agency they work for.

 

“Use of firearms [by a law-enforcement officer] is not necessarily a crime,” said Harutiunian. “If firearms are used for preventing crimes or other legitimate purposes, that is naturally not punishable by criminal law.

 

“But that doesn’t mean we rule out the possibility of an unjustified use of firearms. The matter is being investigated.”

 

The Armenian government has justified the use of lethal force against the opposition protesters, saying that it thereby prevented a coup d’etat allegedly plotted by Ter-Petrosian and his associates. It has claimed that some of the protesters carried weapons, pointing to the deaths of two interior troop servicemen in the unprecedented street battles. However, none of more than 100 opposition members and supporters arrested following the clashes was charged in connection with those deaths.

 

The Ter-Petrosian-led opposition dismisses the coup allegations, insisting that the authorities brutally suppressed the massive post-election demonstrations in Yerevan. It considers former President Robert Kocharian the main mastermind of the “slaughter.”

 

The official version of events has also been questioned by Armenia’s human rights ombudsman and international human rights bodies such as the Council of Europe. They have repeatedly urged the government to allow an independent inquiry involving foreign experts.

 

(Photolur photo)

[Harut]

[Harut]

is anybody following this circus?

 

 

[Harut]

so what's going on this time around?

[Yervant1]

FIRST RESULTS OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS IN ARMENIA

 

By David Petrosyan

 

February 25, 2013

 

 

The regular elections in Armenia took place on February 18 where the

incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan won a landslide victory, as it was

expected. (58.64% of the vote)

 

The Parliamentary opposition, in the face of the Armenian National

Congress (ANC), made a special statement after the elections. Recall

that the ANC did not put forward a candidate in this election, but

they did not boycott the elections because they did not withdraw their

representatives from the election commission. According to the

statement made on the basis of the information received from members

of the commissions on different levels, the major violations were the

following:

 

- The stamp in the passports was easily erased, thus providing the

possibility of multiple voting of the same person,

 

- The authorities used the data of the voters that were missing

from the country, but were registered in the lists (for about 700,000

voters) for the fraud,

 

- A bribery of votes was organized at the national level for the

candidate at power, which is Serzh Sargsyan,

 

- There were cases of violence, intimidation and bribery of

members in the commissions, journalists and observers, requiring

compliance with the law,

 

- Obvious stuffing the ballot boxes has been noticed,

 

- During the vote count there were fraud outcomes in some

committees. Naturally, the final results of the elections were

distorted.

 

As expected, the numerous international observers "did not notice" all

of the aforementioned violations and problems, and, as always,

preferred to speak about the "progress" and "step forward" in

comparison not only with the previous presidential elections, but also

with the parliamentary elections of last year. It is also evident that

the international structures are satisfied with this state of affairs

because of political and geopolitical reasons, and they do not want to

support systemic changes proposed by the parliamentary minority. These

measures are aimed at guarding against the double voting, and the

presence of 700 thousand voters in the electoral rolls that are

constantly absent from the country.

 

Despite our criticism of the work of the international observers, note

that the head of the observation mission OSCE/ODIHR Heidi Tagliavini

said that in terms of political competition this election was "a step

back" in comparison with the previous ones. In addition, Ms. Heidi

Tagliavini also noted the facts of bribery of voters and the presence

of non-sealed ballot boxes. This means that there is a possibility

that the final report of the observer mission will be stricter with

the reality of the electoral process in Armenia.

 

In view of the above, note that for the first time in the history of

the Armenian national elections one of the presidential candidates

(Andreas Ghukasyan) publicly asked for the rejection of the invitation

of observation missions of international organizations. This topic was

also voiced by the representatives of non-governmental youth

organizations of OSCE / ODIHR mission Heidi Tagliavini in a press

conference on February 19. The situation during the press conference

was so severe that the press conference was interrupted.

 

The question of the harsh criticism of international election

observers was raised by NGO "Center for Democracy - Bekum /Fracture."

The representative of "Bekum" Lena Nazaryan expressed her outrage that

the international observers do not get a full picture of irregularities

staying at the polls only for a few minutes, but always give a

positive assessment of the elections in Armenia. Meanwhile, the local

observers record multiple violations.

 

Also note that to our knowledge, this organization is not connected

with any public political power in Armenia.

 

It is also interesting that Andreas Ghukasyan - the candidate starving

throughout the electoral process with the slogan `Stop Fake Elections'

and demanding the removal of candidacy from S. Sargsyan, welcomed the

victory of Serzh Sargsyan and considered it absolutely honest five

years ago. He and his wife said it in an interview with "Voice of

Armenia" on February 21, 2008. Thus, according to the logic of Andreas

Ghukasyan the elections were fair and democratic five years ago while

the present elections are not.

 

This speaks about the fact that there are people in Armenia willing to

make publicity and, thus, get into politics not through the door but

through the window. We assume that there may be non-public political

forces behind A. Ghukasyan that will take steps to destabilize the

situation and form pseudo opposition.

 

The voters of Raffi Hovhannisian who came in second with 36.74% votes

have a very simple explanation: he received that part of the protest

votes who voted for the party of "Prosperous Armenia" Party, the ANC

and Dashnaktsutyun in the parliamentary elections.

 

As we know, none of these three political parties put forward a

candidate for the presidency and, at the same time, they did not

support any of the candidates, even at the level of statements.

 

After the announcement of the preliminary results of the elections,

the former Armenian Foreign Minister and his colleagues have made a

number of harsh public statements about a number of issues related to

the election campaign, the course of voting and the outcomes.

 

The statement made by Armen Martirosyan, the former Member of

Parliament from the "Heritage" fraction (2007-2012), about

R. Hovannisian being ready to lead the government is not quite a true

assessment of the results of the voting. He ascribes the received

votes on his personality and does not make allowance for the fact that

this was a protest vote. The statement about the fact that

R. Hovannisian is ready to take the post of head of the Government,

may be an indirect evidence that he and Serzh Sargsyan could have

indirect backstage negotiations.

 

However, the stated requirements by the ally of the former Foreign

Minister are too high (the parliamentary fraction "Heritage" is

composed of four members) and before starting any negotiations

R. Hovannisian has to congratulate Serzh Sargsyan, and admit his

defeat. However, this did not happen. Moreover, R. Hovannisian speaks

of his landslide victory. Despite the radical declarations about the

results of the election, we can not exclude that R. Hovannisian and

his party "Heritage" could enter the ruling coalition and receive

ministerial portfolios.

 

We emphasize the fact that the process goes against the fact that all

the main external "power centers", in contrast to previous years,

expressed satisfaction with the elections, and thus recognized the

legitimacy of S. Sargsyan.

 

R. Hovannisian will try to organize a series of large-scale public

protests. However, we think that he will not raise serious protest

wave, for these three reasons:

 

- The former Foreign Minister of Armenia has never been a serious

political fighter and has always been more inclined to compromise and

loyalty. He is also contradictory and inconsistent in key areas. In

support of this, we recall that five years ago, after a terrible

slaughter on March 1, 2008, in result of which 10 citizens of Armenia

were killed, R. Hovannisian accepted the invitation and participated

in the inauguration ceremony of S. Sargsyan,

 

- To raise and hold waves of protests, at least for 2-3 weeks, is

not an easy task and neither R. Hovannisian nor his associates have

this political experience

 

- He has no serious political allies.

 

As we see it, R. Hovannisian will try to establish himself as the main

opponent of President Serzh Sargsyan. But given the fact that

candidates from the PAP, the ANC and Dashnaktsutyun were not involved

in these elections, he must prove his right to lead the opposition in

the competition with these forces. The elections of May 5 of the

Council of Elders will provide such opportunity to R. Hovhannisyan,

though there is not much information available about the future

potential candidates.

 

 

"The Noyan Tapan Highlights" N5, February 2013

 

 

--

David Petrosyan is a political analyst in Yerevan, Armenia, and writes

a regular weekly column in Noyan Tapan. He is also a freelancer who

collaborates with Groong, and other publications.

[Yervant1]

Netgazeti, Georgia

9 Oct 17

Serzh Sargsyan's chess game: Is Serzh Sargsyan going to quit?

Mikayel Zolyan

[Groong note: the below is translated from Georgian]

For more than a year now, Armenia's demostic political life has been revolving around one issue: What will happen if in April 2018, when President Serzh Sargsyan's [second] term in office expires and Armenia turns into a parliamentary republic? "Evil tongues" assure that constitutional reforms in Armenia were mainly aimed to provide Serzh Sargsyan with an opportunity to run the country after his term in office expires [according to the former constitution, president's right to being elected for more than two terms was limited] [square brackets as published]. Sargsyan proper and his associates deny the accusations, of course. However, the closer the time of transition to the new system draws, the clearer it becomes that Sargsyan is not going to take a rest.

Post-Soviet countries can be divided into two groups: Those, whose leaders managed to prolong their governance for more than two terms and those, where practice of the kind failed to work. In most post-Soviet countries the issue was settled by removing the limitation on presidential terms. Political leaders in Azerbaijan, Belarus, and most Central Asian republics ensured their presidential longevity by precisely these means.

In Russia, the issue was settled in a more flexible manner: [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and [Prime Minister Dmitry] Medvedev used "castling" [in chess: When king and root are moved in the same move] [square brackets as published]. However, this scenario is no good for Armenia. The former [scenario] quite openly contradicts democratic principles: Armenia is trying to develop relations with the West, despite the fact that it is a member of the [Russian-led] Eurasian Economic Union. A move of the kind could have caused serious problems. Therefore, they decided on a different scenario, which resembled the end of [former Georgian President Mikheil] Saakashvili's governance: Transition to a different form of governance with the ruling party staying in power at the same time. The difference is that in Georgia, the scheme did not work. As a result of the 2012 [parliamentary] elections, the then opposition Georgian Dream party eventually proved to be in power. However, so far, developments in Armenia have been unfolding according to the plan: In April 2016, the ruling Republican Party won the parliamentary election. Indeed, the victory was accompanied by accusations of bribing voters and using the administrative resource. However, no mass protest was staged against the election.

Master of complicated political combinations

Years ago, when Serzh Sargsyan was defence minister, he was elected chairman of the Chess Federation. I have no accurate information on Sargsyan's capabilities in this sport. However, Sargsyan is a recognised master of putting through complicated domestic political combinations. This time, too, Sargsyan does not seem to be experiencing difficulties in the chess game, which is aimed at [his] staying in power. In this political multimove [game], the December 2015 referendum on changes to the Armenian constitution was the first step. The former constitution did not allow Sargsyan, whose second term in office expires in April 2018, to stand in the presidential election. However, he could become prime minister.

Sargsyan proper chooses not to give an unambiguous answer to the question about where he sees himself after 2018. Shortly before the election, Sargsyan said that if his political party won, "he would play his role in ensuring security of his people". However, he chose not to specify in which capacity. In his last interview [on 16 July] [square brackets as published], he also chose not to directly answer the question about whether he wanted to become prime minister in 2018 or not.

The advantage of the combination, which Sargsyan put through, is that the new constitution offers big opportunities to him and his team. His becoming prime minister is the most predictable scenario, but not the only one. Sargsyan can de facto retain power without becoming prime minister. He can remain chairman of the ruling Republican Party and as the party has a majority in parliament, all important decisions will be taken under Sargsyan's leadership. We should not rule out other combinations, which will allow Sargsyan to become the most influential figure in power, avoiding accusations of violating democratic principles.

What can hamper Sargsyan?

There is quite some time left before the April 2018 election and there are at least two scenarios to prevent Sargsyan from preserving power after the 2018 election. According to one scenario, there will be a strong protest against the system within one part of the ruling elite. It should not be ruled out that one part of the ruling team will take a stand against Sargsyan's staying in power. There is even a suitable candidate for a revolt of the kind: Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan, who has been holding the post since September 2016. Karapetyan, who is former mayor of Yerevan and who had worked in the Russian Gazprom system lately, is considered as an "efficient manager". At the same time, he does not have a compromising record of connections with local oligarchs. Indeed, he does have connections with Russian businesses, including rich Armenians living in Russia. However, in Armenia, this is considered as an advantage, as this is related to investment opportunities. Narratives about Karapetyan being a "person from Russia" are highly exaggerated.

It was precisely Karapetyan - a relatively young, energetic, and always elegantly dressed politician that became the face of the ruling Republican Party in the election campaign. Consequently, the Republicans should first and foremost be grateful to him for their victory.

Up to now, Karaptyan has been well-disposed to Sargsyan. However, the situation might change. At the end of June, Karapetyan said in his interview that he was ready to retain the post of prime minister. However, according to Armenian legislation, before being appointed to the post, Armenian prime ministers should have lived in Armenia over the period of past five years. However, Karapetyan lived in Russia. But given the peculiarities of the jurisdiction of post-Soviet Armenia, the problem can be easily resolved. For example, he might turn out to have worked for Russian Gazprom from his home in Yerevan. Thus, Karapetyan's figure should be taken into consideration when speaking about the issue. Certainly, it is also possible that in April 2018, Karapetyan will remain prime minister and Sargsyan will retain the governance mechanisms. If something of the kind happens, this will anyway be a temporary thing: Karapetyan is unlikely to feel satisfied with the role of "the Queen of England "under almighty Sargsyan.

Yet another potential problem, which Sargsyan might face, is strong protest against the system. Indeed, at present, the opposition is weak, representing no danger for Sargsyan. However, street protests against the authorities do occasionally take place in Armenia. The same happened in June 2015, when prices of electricity went up. In July, the authorities proved to be facing a more serious problem. Armed rebels seized a patrol police building for two weeks. Armed group members were veterans of the war in [Azerbaijan's breakaway Nagornyy] Karabakh. They called themselves "Sasna Tsrer", i.e, "Daredevils of Sassoun" [the name of an Armenian epic poem. In Georgian reality, the Man in the Panther's Skin plays a similar role] [square brackets as published] Their protest received mixed reaction: Many people, including those in the opposition, condemned their act of violence. However, Sasna Tsrer also had many supporters.

In support of Sasna Tsrer, hundreds of people came onto the streets to be followed by thousands. It is hard to imagine, what turn the developments would take had they not chosen to surrender to the authorities. At present, the situation is under the authorities' full control and court proceedings against the group members are under way. However, Sasna Tsrer showed that the internal political situation can "explode" any moment in Armenia.

A lot depends on foreign players. In the West and in Russia, attitude towards Sargsyan is quite cautious. People in Moscow have not forgotten Armenia's active participation in the [EU] Eastern Partnership [initiative]. In Brussels, they still remember Armenia's unexpected shift towards the Eurasian Economic Union, renouncing an EU association agreement. Despite the aforementioned, Sargsyan has managed to present himself to Moscow and the West as a convenient partner, giving no reason to any of the sides to show support for his opponents.

Thus, unless there is some force majeure, Sargsyan's chess game will end in the way he wishes. And also, we should not forget that politics is often compared to chess. Real politics is more like backgammon, in which things depend on luck, rather than mastery.

[Yervant1]

 

168.am

| 15:02 | July 9 2018

Category

Politics

 

 

 

 

 

Former President Robert Kocharyan to appear for March 1 questioning not earlier than July 25 – head of office says

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Second President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan will visit the Special Investigative Service for questioning not earlier than July 25, head of Kocharyan’s office Viktor Soghomonyan told reporters.

Robert Kocharyan has been summoned for questioning as a witness by authorities earlier in July over the March 1, 2008 case.

Soghomonyan said that Kocharyan is abroad and he will return not earlier than July 25.

He said Robert Kocharyan is ready to answer the investigator’s questions after returning to Yerevan. “At the same time, if necessary conditions appear before July 25, President Kocharyan is ready to answer written questions through writing or other means of communication,” he said.

Mass protests erupted in Yerevan after the presidential election in 2008, when Robert Kocharyan was re-elected to a second term. Subsequent clashes between protesters and security forces claimed several lives on both sides.

https://en.168.am/2018/07/09/26332.html

 

[Yervant1]

Public Radio of Armenia

July 26 2018

Armenia’s former President charged with overthrowing constitutional order

21:59, 26 Jul 2018

http://www.armradio.am/en/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Robert-Kocharyan-620x300.jpg

Armenia’s ex-President Robert Kocharyan has been charged with overthrowing constitutional order.

Kocharyan has been charged under Part 1 of Article 300 of the RA Criminal Code for overthowing the constitutional order of the Republic of Armenia in prior agreement with other persons, reports the Special Investigative Service.

The decision has been made on the basis of sufficient evidence obtained during the investigation into the events of March 1-2, 2008, which saw ten killed in an unrest that followed the presidential elections.

A motion on Robert Kocharyan’s detention has been filed with the First Instance Court of General Jurisdiction.

Speaking to Yerkir Media TV, Kocharyan denied the charges, calling them “entirely fictitious, fabricated, and politically motivated.”

“This is an apparent political persecution, a vendetta under the cover of the velvet revolution, under the motto of love and solidarity,” Kocharyan said.

http://www.armradio.am/en/2018/07/26/armenias-former-president-charged-with-overthrowing-constitutional-order/

[MosJan]

ԵՍ ԱԿԱՆԱՏԵՍ ԵՄ | ՄԱՐՏԻ ՄԵԿԻ ԴԵՊՔԵՐԻ ՄԱՍԻՆ ՊԱՏՄՈՒՄ ԵՆ ԱԿԱՆԱՏԵՍՆԵՐԸ | ԱԶԱՏՈՒԹՅԱՆ ԱՐԽԻՎ

https://www.facebook.com/azatutyuntv/videos/2062872183758148/

[MosJan]

 

Ինչպես էինք ընտրում

[Yervant1]

 

A1+

 

Zaruhi Postanjyan: Robert Kocharyan is a state traitor

• 17:55 | August 10,2018 | Politics

• Հայ

President of the Yerkir Tsirani (Country of Apricot) Party Zaruhi Postanjyan is in the Criminal Court of Appeals.

According to her, the amount of accusation against second president Robert Kocharyan should be increased, as he had damaged our country a lot.

According to Zaruhi Postanjyan, Serzh Sargsyan should also be held accountable.

Also, she believes that Levon Ter-Petrosyan should also be questioned.

“At the moment, as a witness, why did not he leave the house on March 1, even though we were asking? Everyone should be called [for questioing] to find out what had happened.”

https://en.a1plus.am/1276922.html