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Armenian nationalists hit back at LTP criticism

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  • Armenian nationalists hit back at LTP criticism

    AssA-Irada, Azerbaijan
    November 12, 2009 Thursday

    ARMENIAN NATIONALISTS HIT BACK AT TER-PETROSIAN CRITICISM


    The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) on Thursday
    dismissed Levon Ter-Petrosians harsh criticism of its hard line on
    Turkey and said he ceased to be Armenias top opposition leader after
    making far-reaching overtures to President Serzh Sarkisian. In a
    landmark speech on Wednesday, Ter-Petrosian implied that he and his
    Armenian National Congress (HAK) are ready, in principle, to recognize
    Sarkisians legitimacy if he agreed to cooperate with the opposition
    alliance on major challenges facing the country. He also defended some
    key aspects of Sarkisians policy on Turkey against attacks by
    Dashnaktsutyun and other extreme nationalists.

    Top HAK representatives confirmed on Thursday that the remarks were a
    cooperation offer addressed to the current Armenian leadership. One of
    them, Vahagn Khachatrian, summed up the former Armenian presidents
    message as follows: If you are ready to strive for a big idea, we are
    ready to talk to you about that. The HAK was always ready to
    collaborate with the authorities under certain circumstances, he said.
    The Armenian National Congress has never made secret of that, agreed
    Aram Sarkisian, another leader of the bloc. He said Ter-Petrosian gave
    the president a definitely good piece of advice. He is offering the
    authorities a deal, scoffed Giro Manoyan, Dashnaktsutyuns foreign
    policy spokesman. He said Ter-Petrosian and his allies are now ready
    to stop challenging Sarkisians legitimacy in return for something
    which should be a subject of haggling. I think he is resorting to that
    for two reasons, said Manoyan. First, because he is a supporter of the
    defeatist Armenia-Turkey policy. Second, he acknowledged that he
    doesnt have much to do as an opposition anymore and is keen to cut a
    deal with the authorities to ensure his survival. Manoyan said
    Ter-Petrosians extraordinary statements also heralded the end of the
    HAKs monopoly on opposition. His statements show that they have not
    only lost that monopoly but no longer lead the opposition, he told
    RFE/RL. There is now another opposition that is doing the job. Manoyan
    referred to a Dashnaktsutyun-led coalition of a dozen mostly small
    opposition groups that have strongly condemned the Turkish-Armenian
    agreements to normalize bilateral relations which were signed last
    month. Manoyan said Ter-Petrosian distorted the Dashnaktsutyuns
    position on Turkish-Armenian relations because he is jealous about the
    nationalist partys rising profile. Also alleging jealousy was Razmik
    Zohrabian, a deputy chairman of President Sarkisians Republican Party
    of Armenia (HHK). Zohrabian refrained from commenting on the HAK
    leaders overtures to the government, focusing instead on other parts
    of his speech that were critical of the Sarkisian administration.
    Levon Ter-Petrosian wishes he had been elected president and managed
    this policy on Turkish-Armenian relations, Zohrabian told RFE/RL. But
    naturally, he wasnt elected and cant manage [that policy] and thats
    why keeps repeating scenes of jealousy.*
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