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DASHNAK CANDIDATE DEPLORES ELECTION FRAUD
By Ruben Meloyan
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Jan 22 2008
The presidential candidate of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(Dashnaktsutyun) questioned the legitimacy of Armenia's leadership
and pledged to end the country's culture of electoral fraud as he
campaigned in the southern Armavir region on Tuesday.
Addressing a small crowd that gathered in the eponymous regional
capital, deputy parliament speaker Vahan Hovannisian explained why he
thinks the country's rulers have failed to deliver on their promises
to the electorate.
"Presidential or parliamentary elections always create a situation
in Armenia in which those who have come to power owe their success,
their victory not to you, but to criminal or semi-criminal clans,
wealthy individuals, oligarchs, senior government officials,
who bring them votes on a plate by trampling on your rights, by
crushing, deceiving and bribing people," said Hovannisian. "That
is lip service. The authority doesn't benefit from that or become
healthier as a result. But it is used to eating from that plate."
"Only a Dashnaktsutyun member can break that plate," he added.
The remarks were quite extraordinary for a leader of a party that has
long stood by outgoing President Robert Kocharian and recognized the
legitimacy of his victory in the disputed presidential elections of
1998 and 2003. They underscored Dashnaktsutyun's efforts to distance
itself from the Armenian government, in which it is represented
by three ministers. The influential party has been trying to cast
itself as a viable alternative to Kocharian's preferred successor,
Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian.
Mindful of an unusually cold weather, Hovannisian hoped to hold his
Armavir rally in the town's main conference hall belonging to the
municipality. But he had to rally supporters outdoors after being
controversially denied permission to use the premises by Armavir Mayor
Ruben Khlghatian. The latter is a member of Sarkisian's Republican
Party of Armenia (HHK).
The rebuff prompted an angry comment from Artur Aghabekian, chairman
of the Armenian parliament's defense committee and another prominent
Dashnaktsutyun figure. "The conference hall must be returned to the
people because the mayor has [effectively] privatized it. Do you
agree with me?" Aghabekian aksed the crowd.
The Hovannisian campaign faced a similar problem in the nearby village
of Mrgashat whose Republican mayor, Manvel Danielian, also refused
to let the Dashnaktsutyun candidate use the village club.
Danielian denied any political motives for his decision, saying
that he was notified about Hovannisian's visit to Mrgashat at a very
short notice.
"Unfortunately, they fear any new thing in our country," Hovannisian
told villagers. "There is one new thing which we shouldn't fear,
which we should aspire to and succeed in bringing about. That new
thing would be to elect a Dashnak president."
"A president representing Dashnaktsutyun would really be your
president," he said.
By Ruben Meloyan
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Jan 22 2008
The presidential candidate of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(Dashnaktsutyun) questioned the legitimacy of Armenia's leadership
and pledged to end the country's culture of electoral fraud as he
campaigned in the southern Armavir region on Tuesday.
Addressing a small crowd that gathered in the eponymous regional
capital, deputy parliament speaker Vahan Hovannisian explained why he
thinks the country's rulers have failed to deliver on their promises
to the electorate.
"Presidential or parliamentary elections always create a situation
in Armenia in which those who have come to power owe their success,
their victory not to you, but to criminal or semi-criminal clans,
wealthy individuals, oligarchs, senior government officials,
who bring them votes on a plate by trampling on your rights, by
crushing, deceiving and bribing people," said Hovannisian. "That
is lip service. The authority doesn't benefit from that or become
healthier as a result. But it is used to eating from that plate."
"Only a Dashnaktsutyun member can break that plate," he added.
The remarks were quite extraordinary for a leader of a party that has
long stood by outgoing President Robert Kocharian and recognized the
legitimacy of his victory in the disputed presidential elections of
1998 and 2003. They underscored Dashnaktsutyun's efforts to distance
itself from the Armenian government, in which it is represented
by three ministers. The influential party has been trying to cast
itself as a viable alternative to Kocharian's preferred successor,
Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian.
Mindful of an unusually cold weather, Hovannisian hoped to hold his
Armavir rally in the town's main conference hall belonging to the
municipality. But he had to rally supporters outdoors after being
controversially denied permission to use the premises by Armavir Mayor
Ruben Khlghatian. The latter is a member of Sarkisian's Republican
Party of Armenia (HHK).
The rebuff prompted an angry comment from Artur Aghabekian, chairman
of the Armenian parliament's defense committee and another prominent
Dashnaktsutyun figure. "The conference hall must be returned to the
people because the mayor has [effectively] privatized it. Do you
agree with me?" Aghabekian aksed the crowd.
The Hovannisian campaign faced a similar problem in the nearby village
of Mrgashat whose Republican mayor, Manvel Danielian, also refused
to let the Dashnaktsutyun candidate use the village club.
Danielian denied any political motives for his decision, saying
that he was notified about Hovannisian's visit to Mrgashat at a very
short notice.
"Unfortunately, they fear any new thing in our country," Hovannisian
told villagers. "There is one new thing which we shouldn't fear,
which we should aspire to and succeed in bringing about. That new
thing would be to elect a Dashnak president."
"A president representing Dashnaktsutyun would really be your
president," he said.