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Levon Ter-Petrossian


Armen

Would you give him a second chance?  

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http://www.hzh.am/Arkhiv/2004/September/11.09/11.09.04.html

Scroll down for the appropriate article.

 

Today's Armenian Times carries an article on LTP political legacy as well as information about AT's latest project on "alternative presidential elections", which apparently was a kind of poll conducted by the paper itself. The paper said that the poll's results tell that LTPs supporters were the most acitve participants, which is why he got more "votes".

 

Please, leave a comment!!!.

Edited by Armen
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He served to the best of his abilities in dificult for Armenia times. The times have changed. To me he would remain as the Armenian Shevarnadze. What Armenian political class should learn is how to share their experience with the present authorities. Not being driven by narrow minded political calculations but serving the nation without being in power. Something positive that we need to learn from American democracy.
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I voted "Yes but...".

 

My opinion is that LTP did not have the gutts to reject and prevent his family's/friends' involvement in state affairs and the privatization process. And this was the root of Armenia's internal political apathy and as a consequence external political standing.

 

His inability to distance himself from his surroundings created the athmosphere of "elite rights for family and friends" during the devastating early 90s, which destroyed the initial public unity around the process of state creation. This "unity fealing" was crucial for laying the basis of Armenian state. It could have gone after decades, when Armenian had stable policy making process. But this public justice was important in those days. And, as many have said, the inner political problems of nowadys have their roots in early 90s.

 

I could accept his come back if he would come with a new team free of any friends or family including everybody in current HHSH, which makes my original vote a "No" I guess...

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  • 3 weeks later...
well, i voted "no", but not because i don't like him personally or professionally, but because we are trying to build a democracy in the country not authocracy. what's done is done. he had his chanse and he gave it up. his coming back is not a matter of life and death for him or the country. so... let's move on.
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I voted no. He was currupt, and his foreign policy was rather conciliatory. One important fact - while president he never set foot in Artsax. What kind of a national leader would do that?

 

P.S. I had voted for him the first round though.

Edited by Sasun
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One important fact - while president he never set foot in Artsax. What kind of a national leader would do that?

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Diplomatically that would mean that Armenia recognizes Karabagh as an independent country. It is not Armenia's foreign policy. However, I agree that it is an important fact.

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Diplomatically that would mean that Armenia recognizes Karabagh as an independent country. It is not Armenia's foreign policy. However, I agree that it is an important fact.

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I was not thinking in those terms, but if we assume that you are right, then one should wonder why Armenia did not have a friendly neighbourly relations with Artsax so much as not to pay an official visit. (Or could it be that nobody in Artsax liked LTP and therefore the latter never got an invitation? :) )

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I was not thinking in those terms, but if we assume that you are right, then one should wonder why Armenia did not have a friendly neighbourly relations with Artsax so much as not to pay an official visit. (Or could it be that nobody in Artsax liked LTP and therefore the latter never got an invitation? :) )

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Armenia has never officially admitted its involvement in Artsakh conflict. If it does it will be immediately declared an agressor. In early 90s I suspect that all governments, especially Turkey and Azerbaijan, were closely following all these kind of details. If you remember in 1996 in Lisabon Armenia was cornered by all OSCE member countries to accept an agreement and refused by vetoing alone the final act of the conferance. Now consider if LTP would have visited Artsakh officially (meaning a recognition), Armenia would have been stoned by everyone.

 

Armenia's policy is to recognize Artsakh after any one member of the U.N. recognizes it. And that's smart. Because if we recognize it now we will be legaly isolated. This will not only do harm to Armenia but to Artsakh as well.

 

Armenia holds negotiations with Azeries because they do not recognize Artsakh as a legal entity (side of conflict etc.) to negotiate with.

 

This is why LTP didn't go there. However, when Kocharian became a President this became a whole different issue as you may guess. As far as I remember he was even present at the 1999 parade :)

 

Actually, some semantics for our language people:

 

Good neighbourly relations - Baridratsiakan haraberutyunner

 

In case of Georgia it will be: Bari VRATSIAKAN haraberutyunner :)

Edited by Armen
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Armen, i left my comment already, but i'll add a couple more.

 

first, bringing back old policians will discourage young people and newcomers to politics from entering into political arena. it will paint a picture of politics being a "game" for old people.

 

second, bringing back old presidents will mean that we are politically bankrupt and have only two-three people to choose from for a president for last 13 years. i certainly don't believe so.

 

i can go on talking about how it will have negative impact on the political atmosphere... such as strengthening the already rooted clan system, how it will undermine the process of building political parties around idealogies and national agends and not certain individuals and short-term goals, etc etc.

 

as you see my opposition is not personally agaist him, but the idea itself.

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I think Levon's time has passed. We need a Raffi Hovanissian.

 

Like Greece and Latvia, we need a westerner in there to drag the country into the western economies.

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Rafi Hovanissian is not a bad idea. He has enough experience to understand how the system works and hence avoid unnecessary conflicts and at the same time have a shot at reform. But does he stand a chance ?

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