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OPPOSITION BLOC CONFIRMS READINESS TO 'HELP' SARKISIAN ARMENIA -- LEVON ZURABIAN, A LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION ARMENIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS.
Ruzanna Stepanian
http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article /1880406.html
17.11.2009
Opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosian is ready, in principle, to
cooperate with President Serzh Sarkisian, a leading member of his
Armenian National Congress (HAK) confirmed on Tuesday.
"How can we rule that out?" Levon Zurabian, the HAK's central office
coordinator, told journalists. "If Serzh Sarkisian wishes to take steps
towards the people, releases the political prisoners, reinstates A1+
[television on the air,] punishes those guilty of the March 1 [2008
crackdown on opposition protesters,] restores democratic freedoms
in the country, breaks this illegal oligarchic system of economic
monopolies, how can we not cooperate?"
When asked what concrete forms that cooperation might take, Zurabian
said: "If steps are taken in that direction, then Ter-Petrosian and the
entire opposition will only be ready to help." He did not elaborate.
Ter-Petrosian hinted at his readiness to recognize Sarkisian's
legitimacy, strongly contested by the HAK, in a November 11 speech
delivered at a high-level meeting of his opposition alliance. He
cited in that regard the example of a 17th century Armenian bishop
who became a self-styled spiritual leader of the Ottoman Armenians
by fraudulent means, threatening to split up the Armenian Apostolic
Church. The church responded to the threat by electing the cleric as
its new supreme leader in 1681.
"Why does Serzh Sarkisian think that the Armenian people are incapable
of once again displaying such broad-mindedness and wisdom for the
sake of national aims?" asked Ter-Petrosian.
The remarks sharply contrasted with another major speech which
Ter-Petrosian delivered in the wake of the May 31 municipal elections
in Yerevan which he denounced as "the ugliest in Armenia's history."
"Serzh Sarkisian is not the president of Armenia," the former Armenian
president declared at the time. "Serzh Sarkisian is an ordinary
usurper who must be immediately ousted and put on trial. We are
officially refusing to engage in any dialogue with Serzh Sarkisian
on any condition."
Zurabian echoed Ter-Petrosian's November 11 claims that Sarkisian is
ready to make major concessions to Turkey and Azerbaijan in an effort
to win strong Western support and thereby offset what the HAK sees
as a lack of legitimacy at home. The president should look for that
legitimacy within Armenia, he said. But he said at the same time that
the HAK itself "can not recognize" it because the bloc continues to
believe that the February 2008 presidential elections were rigged.
The apparent change in the HAK's tough stand against the Armenian
leadership has prompted negative reactions from other opposition
groups such as the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun).
Hrant Markarian, a top Dashnaktsutyun leader, on Sunday spoke with
alarm of the possibility of Sarkisian and Ter-Petrosian joining
forces. Markarian expressed hope that the president will not "finally
turn his back on his teammates and surrender" to Dashnaktsutyun's
longtime antagonist.
Zurabian scoffed at the warning, saying that the nationalist party
admitted remaining a Sarkisian "teammate" despite leaving Armenia's
governing coalition in April. "They are worried that Serzh Sarkisian
could lose a teammate like Dashnaktsutyun," he said. "I welcome such
an eloquent revelation made by Dashnaktsutyun."
Zurabian also shrugged off derogatory attacks on Ter-Petrosian
launched by former President Robert Kocharian on Monday. In a written
statement circulated by the Mediamax news agency, Kocharian compared
his predecessor to a scared man whom he said he encountered during a
recent, hitherto unpublicized, safari to Africa. He said the "European"
hunter had been attacked and deeply traumatized by a bear several
years ago and now flinches at every mention of the animal.
"Unfortunately, it was a hunter's statement containing a hunter's
vocabulary," commented Zurabian. "We can't understand it because we
are in politics and don't go on safaris."
Ruzanna Stepanian
http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article /1880406.html
17.11.2009
Opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosian is ready, in principle, to
cooperate with President Serzh Sarkisian, a leading member of his
Armenian National Congress (HAK) confirmed on Tuesday.
"How can we rule that out?" Levon Zurabian, the HAK's central office
coordinator, told journalists. "If Serzh Sarkisian wishes to take steps
towards the people, releases the political prisoners, reinstates A1+
[television on the air,] punishes those guilty of the March 1 [2008
crackdown on opposition protesters,] restores democratic freedoms
in the country, breaks this illegal oligarchic system of economic
monopolies, how can we not cooperate?"
When asked what concrete forms that cooperation might take, Zurabian
said: "If steps are taken in that direction, then Ter-Petrosian and the
entire opposition will only be ready to help." He did not elaborate.
Ter-Petrosian hinted at his readiness to recognize Sarkisian's
legitimacy, strongly contested by the HAK, in a November 11 speech
delivered at a high-level meeting of his opposition alliance. He
cited in that regard the example of a 17th century Armenian bishop
who became a self-styled spiritual leader of the Ottoman Armenians
by fraudulent means, threatening to split up the Armenian Apostolic
Church. The church responded to the threat by electing the cleric as
its new supreme leader in 1681.
"Why does Serzh Sarkisian think that the Armenian people are incapable
of once again displaying such broad-mindedness and wisdom for the
sake of national aims?" asked Ter-Petrosian.
The remarks sharply contrasted with another major speech which
Ter-Petrosian delivered in the wake of the May 31 municipal elections
in Yerevan which he denounced as "the ugliest in Armenia's history."
"Serzh Sarkisian is not the president of Armenia," the former Armenian
president declared at the time. "Serzh Sarkisian is an ordinary
usurper who must be immediately ousted and put on trial. We are
officially refusing to engage in any dialogue with Serzh Sarkisian
on any condition."
Zurabian echoed Ter-Petrosian's November 11 claims that Sarkisian is
ready to make major concessions to Turkey and Azerbaijan in an effort
to win strong Western support and thereby offset what the HAK sees
as a lack of legitimacy at home. The president should look for that
legitimacy within Armenia, he said. But he said at the same time that
the HAK itself "can not recognize" it because the bloc continues to
believe that the February 2008 presidential elections were rigged.
The apparent change in the HAK's tough stand against the Armenian
leadership has prompted negative reactions from other opposition
groups such as the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun).
Hrant Markarian, a top Dashnaktsutyun leader, on Sunday spoke with
alarm of the possibility of Sarkisian and Ter-Petrosian joining
forces. Markarian expressed hope that the president will not "finally
turn his back on his teammates and surrender" to Dashnaktsutyun's
longtime antagonist.
Zurabian scoffed at the warning, saying that the nationalist party
admitted remaining a Sarkisian "teammate" despite leaving Armenia's
governing coalition in April. "They are worried that Serzh Sarkisian
could lose a teammate like Dashnaktsutyun," he said. "I welcome such
an eloquent revelation made by Dashnaktsutyun."
Zurabian also shrugged off derogatory attacks on Ter-Petrosian
launched by former President Robert Kocharian on Monday. In a written
statement circulated by the Mediamax news agency, Kocharian compared
his predecessor to a scared man whom he said he encountered during a
recent, hitherto unpublicized, safari to Africa. He said the "European"
hunter had been attacked and deeply traumatized by a bear several
years ago and now flinches at every mention of the animal.
"Unfortunately, it was a hunter's statement containing a hunter's
vocabulary," commented Zurabian. "We can't understand it because we
are in politics and don't go on safaris."