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ARF TO CONTINUE DEMONSTRATIONS AGAINST PROTOCOLS
Asbarez
Dec 15th, 2009
YEREVAN (Yerkir)-The Armenian Revolutionary Federation will hold
street demonstrations on January 12 when Armenia's Constitutional
Court is scheduled to hold hearings on the Turkey-Armenia Protocols,
said the leader of the party's faction in parliament.
Vahan Hovannesian, who serves on the ARF governing Bureau, announced
the renewed protests at a press briefing Monday during which he
outlined the various ways to derail the Armenia-Turkey protocols.
"We have received many applications and proposals to hold serious
actions of protest on the eve of the announcement of the Constitutional
Court decision," he said. "Naturally, we were going to do that
regardless of anyone and anything. But now, seeing that a popular
wave is again rising, we can state for certain that there will be no
calm in Armenia during those days."
Hovannesian explained that the ARF will launch early next month a
new phase of its campaign aimed at scuttling the implementation of
the recently signed Turkish-Armenian agreements.
Speaking of the increasing weight of foreign pressure bearing down on
Armenia, Hovannesian cited the phone call late last week by Secretary
of State Hillary Clinton to President Serzh Sarkisian immediately
after the president forcefully rebuked Turkish preconditions on the
normalization process.
He said Armenia had viable options, despite the pressure, such as
amending the protocols without withdrawing from the negotiations. In
the event that Turkey did not agree with the amendments, the talks
would begin anew.
"We can safely say that Turkey is violating the agreements. We can
proceed as the Turkish prime minister did when he said that the Turkish
government cannot pressure the parliament to ratify the protocols. And
I am sure in the event of a free vote the Armenian parliament would
not ratify the protocols," explained Hovannesian.
Hovannesian also said that even if the Armenian leadership withdraws
from the talks, the ARF would not return to the ruling coalition. "One
thing we saw is that our authorities are capable of making decisions
without prior consultations."
The ARF leader was referring to secret negotiations with Turkey. He
added that until this style of leadership is reassessed the ARF would
not be part of any coalition.
Asbarez
Dec 15th, 2009
YEREVAN (Yerkir)-The Armenian Revolutionary Federation will hold
street demonstrations on January 12 when Armenia's Constitutional
Court is scheduled to hold hearings on the Turkey-Armenia Protocols,
said the leader of the party's faction in parliament.
Vahan Hovannesian, who serves on the ARF governing Bureau, announced
the renewed protests at a press briefing Monday during which he
outlined the various ways to derail the Armenia-Turkey protocols.
"We have received many applications and proposals to hold serious
actions of protest on the eve of the announcement of the Constitutional
Court decision," he said. "Naturally, we were going to do that
regardless of anyone and anything. But now, seeing that a popular
wave is again rising, we can state for certain that there will be no
calm in Armenia during those days."
Hovannesian explained that the ARF will launch early next month a
new phase of its campaign aimed at scuttling the implementation of
the recently signed Turkish-Armenian agreements.
Speaking of the increasing weight of foreign pressure bearing down on
Armenia, Hovannesian cited the phone call late last week by Secretary
of State Hillary Clinton to President Serzh Sarkisian immediately
after the president forcefully rebuked Turkish preconditions on the
normalization process.
He said Armenia had viable options, despite the pressure, such as
amending the protocols without withdrawing from the negotiations. In
the event that Turkey did not agree with the amendments, the talks
would begin anew.
"We can safely say that Turkey is violating the agreements. We can
proceed as the Turkish prime minister did when he said that the Turkish
government cannot pressure the parliament to ratify the protocols. And
I am sure in the event of a free vote the Armenian parliament would
not ratify the protocols," explained Hovannesian.
Hovannesian also said that even if the Armenian leadership withdraws
from the talks, the ARF would not return to the ruling coalition. "One
thing we saw is that our authorities are capable of making decisions
without prior consultations."
The ARF leader was referring to secret negotiations with Turkey. He
added that until this style of leadership is reassessed the ARF would
not be part of any coalition.