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DASHNAK LEADER SEES RISING INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE ON ARMENIA
Karine Kalantarian
http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article/2059223.html
01.06.2010
Armenia -- Vahan Hovannisian, a leader of the opposition Armenian
Revolutionary Federation, at a news conference, 1June 2010.
Armenia is facing mounting international pressure over the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and relations with Turkey, a leader of
the opposition Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun)
said on Tuesday.
Vahan Hovannisian claimed that foreign powers are also pressing the
Armenian government to improve its human rights record "for less than
sincere motives." "These pressures have significantly increased of
late," he told a news conference.
Hovannisian, who leads the party's parliamentary faction, pointed to
the European Union's May 20 resolution demanding "the withdrawal of
Armenian forces from all occupied territories of Azerbaijan."
He said the alleged pressure results from the Armenian authorities'
tendency to make and enforce controversial decisions on various
issues in disregard of public opinion and opposition protests. The
international community now feels that they can "impose any solution"
on Armenians, he said.
"Our authorities have failed to realize that they can have a strong
position in the international arena only if they have a strong
rear," complained Hovannisian. "That is, a society trusting in the
authorities. We don't have such a society today."
"Our authorities must realize that they have to listen to the
voice of the opposition ... that not listening to the opposition
leads to deadlock," he said, adding that by "opposition" he means
Dashnaktsutyun.
Dashnaktsutyun left President Serzh Sarkisian's governing coalition
in April 2009 in protest against his Western-backed policy of
rapprochement with Turkey. While condemning that policy, the
nationalist party has so far avoided seeking Sarkisian's resignation,
a stance criticized by other, more radical opposition groups.
From: A. Papazian
Karine Kalantarian
http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article/2059223.html
01.06.2010
Armenia -- Vahan Hovannisian, a leader of the opposition Armenian
Revolutionary Federation, at a news conference, 1June 2010.
Armenia is facing mounting international pressure over the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and relations with Turkey, a leader of
the opposition Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun)
said on Tuesday.
Vahan Hovannisian claimed that foreign powers are also pressing the
Armenian government to improve its human rights record "for less than
sincere motives." "These pressures have significantly increased of
late," he told a news conference.
Hovannisian, who leads the party's parliamentary faction, pointed to
the European Union's May 20 resolution demanding "the withdrawal of
Armenian forces from all occupied territories of Azerbaijan."
He said the alleged pressure results from the Armenian authorities'
tendency to make and enforce controversial decisions on various
issues in disregard of public opinion and opposition protests. The
international community now feels that they can "impose any solution"
on Armenians, he said.
"Our authorities have failed to realize that they can have a strong
position in the international arena only if they have a strong
rear," complained Hovannisian. "That is, a society trusting in the
authorities. We don't have such a society today."
"Our authorities must realize that they have to listen to the
voice of the opposition ... that not listening to the opposition
leads to deadlock," he said, adding that by "opposition" he means
Dashnaktsutyun.
Dashnaktsutyun left President Serzh Sarkisian's governing coalition
in April 2009 in protest against his Western-backed policy of
rapprochement with Turkey. While condemning that policy, the
nationalist party has so far avoided seeking Sarkisian's resignation,
a stance criticized by other, more radical opposition groups.
From: A. Papazian