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ARMENIA LEFT WITHOUT ANTHEM
By Astghik Bedevian
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Dec 6 2006
Armenia was effectively left without a national anthem on Wednesday as
its parliament failed to meet a constitutional deadline for reaffirming
the existing state symbol or introducing a new one.
The deadline was set by one of the amendments to Armenia's constitution
that were enacted by the authorities in a hotly disputed referendum
late last year. It meant that the "Mer Hayrenik" (Our Fatherland)
song will automatically lose its official status unless the National
Assembly passes a special law on the anthem by December 6, 2006.
The clause was widely seen as a prelude to the abolition of "Mer
Hayrenik" which was the official anthem of an independent Armenian
republic in 1918-1920 before being reinstated by Armenia's first
post-Communist government in 1990. President Robert Kocharian and
many of his political allies, backed by some artists and composers,
consider its tune and lyrics too unsophisticated.
But their plans have met with strong resistance from some opposition
groups and, more importantly, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(Dashnaktsutyun), a member of the governing coalition which had
founded the First Republic. They forced the government last month to
scrap the results of a contest for a new Armenian anthem.
Still, the government kept open the possibility of anthem change on
November 29, pushing through the Kocharian-controlled parliament a bill
that gives "Mer Hayrenik" only a "provisional" status. The parliament
was due to debate the bill in the second and final reading this week.
But its speaker, Tigran Torosian, blocked the discussion on
Tuesday and Wednesday, citing procedural violations committed by
the government. The move was criticized by Rafik Petrosian, the
pro-government chairman of the parliament committee on legal affairs.
He accused Torosian of bowing to opposition pressure.
"The situation is unpleasant," admitted Prime Minister Andranik
Markarian. "We will probably not have, de jure, a national anthem for
a few more days. But those few days won't have any practical impact
on the existence of our state."
Markarian added that the government will initiate an emergency
parliament session on the issue "soon."
Dashnaktsutyun lawmakers, meanwhile, insisted on their alternative
bill that would perpetuate the official status of "Mer Hayrenik."
"Armenia is in a situation where if, God forbids, there is an official
ceremony in the next few days [involving anthem rendition], it can not
play any music as an national anthem," one of them, Gegham Manukian,
complained.
"The fact that we essentially have no national anthem is unacceptable,"
said Grigor Harutiunian of the opposition Artarutyun alliance.
By Astghik Bedevian
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Dec 6 2006
Armenia was effectively left without a national anthem on Wednesday as
its parliament failed to meet a constitutional deadline for reaffirming
the existing state symbol or introducing a new one.
The deadline was set by one of the amendments to Armenia's constitution
that were enacted by the authorities in a hotly disputed referendum
late last year. It meant that the "Mer Hayrenik" (Our Fatherland)
song will automatically lose its official status unless the National
Assembly passes a special law on the anthem by December 6, 2006.
The clause was widely seen as a prelude to the abolition of "Mer
Hayrenik" which was the official anthem of an independent Armenian
republic in 1918-1920 before being reinstated by Armenia's first
post-Communist government in 1990. President Robert Kocharian and
many of his political allies, backed by some artists and composers,
consider its tune and lyrics too unsophisticated.
But their plans have met with strong resistance from some opposition
groups and, more importantly, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(Dashnaktsutyun), a member of the governing coalition which had
founded the First Republic. They forced the government last month to
scrap the results of a contest for a new Armenian anthem.
Still, the government kept open the possibility of anthem change on
November 29, pushing through the Kocharian-controlled parliament a bill
that gives "Mer Hayrenik" only a "provisional" status. The parliament
was due to debate the bill in the second and final reading this week.
But its speaker, Tigran Torosian, blocked the discussion on
Tuesday and Wednesday, citing procedural violations committed by
the government. The move was criticized by Rafik Petrosian, the
pro-government chairman of the parliament committee on legal affairs.
He accused Torosian of bowing to opposition pressure.
"The situation is unpleasant," admitted Prime Minister Andranik
Markarian. "We will probably not have, de jure, a national anthem for
a few more days. But those few days won't have any practical impact
on the existence of our state."
Markarian added that the government will initiate an emergency
parliament session on the issue "soon."
Dashnaktsutyun lawmakers, meanwhile, insisted on their alternative
bill that would perpetuate the official status of "Mer Hayrenik."
"Armenia is in a situation where if, God forbids, there is an official
ceremony in the next few days [involving anthem rendition], it can not
play any music as an national anthem," one of them, Gegham Manukian,
complained.
"The fact that we essentially have no national anthem is unacceptable,"
said Grigor Harutiunian of the opposition Artarutyun alliance.