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ARF Between Principles and Quotas
Naira Hayrumyan
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/comments23022.html
Published: 15:17:01 - 20/08/2011
The ARF-D Central Committee of West America made serious allegations
against President Sargsyan. The ARF of California refused to attend
the reception which will be organized in Los Angeles on the 20th
anniversary of independence of Armenia, `in honor of President Serzh
Sargsyan'. ARF-D accuses Serzh Sargsyan of leading the country to
social collapse, causing people to emigrate, yielding in the Karabakh
issue and relations with Turkey, discrediting the idea of
independence.
Giro Manoyan, the head of the ARF-D Bureau Office of Political
Affairs, has already issued a disclaimer, noting that `Armenian' ARF-D
disagrees with this position, and does not think the 20th anniversary
of independence should be used for similar statements. For their part,
the `American' ARF-D thinks the 20th anniversary of independence
cannot be used for honoring a discredited president.
The American ARF-D's refusal to support Serzh Sargsyan may lead to an
interesting transformation.
It has been brought up for a number of times that the economic
disaster in Armenia, oligopolies, `criminal' laws, imitation of
democracy is rooted in the dependence of the Armenian government of
Russia where the vicious soviet traditions persist. It has been
brought up for a number of times that the Western Diaspora may help
change the social and political psychology in Armenia. But so far, the
Diaspora has been reluctant to interfere with the process in Armenia,
accepted its government as symbols of the homeland.
The Diaspora is divided by their support of one political party or
another, and the ARF-D has influence on a significant part of
Armenians living outside Armenia. In this context, rejection of Serzh
Sargsyan by pro-ARF-D Armenians traditionally supporting the Armenian
government may influence general moods in the Diaspora.
The government of Armenia may say they don't need the support of the
American Diaspora and they will be right to some extent because in the
past few years the government became reliant on the Armenian Russian
tycoons. And this is only one side of the issue.
The other side is the approach of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun itself. In
the past few years, the leadership of the party moved to Yerevan,
accreted with the government, receiving both economic and political
quotas. Sometimes, the Armenian leadership of the party, despite the
opinion of the ARF-D worldwide, openly or tacitly supported the
Armenian government. Even though the ARF-D left the coalition, it did
not demand the president's resignation and did not take abrupt action.
The behavior of the ARF-D in Armenia regarding the Armenian-Turkish
normalization was softer than outside Armenia.
Despite few seats in parliament and small electorate, the Armenian
government needs the ARF-D's support. At the same time, the Armenian
Dashnaktsutyun would hardly wish to lose its quotas and be pushed out
of the way. The statement of the ARF-D of West America will certainly
give rise to questions to `local' Dashnaktsutyun. They will either
have to announce that they do not share positions or they agree with
the evaluation of their American friends. This would lead to a
break-up with the government, resulting in a new division of property
and business.
ARF-D may announce that the CC of West America said nothing new, and
`local' Dashnaktsutyun has announced the same thing for a number of
times but less roughly. But obviously, it will not be true.
Dashnaktsutyun in Yerevan has never boycotted any event which was
attended by Serzh Sargsyan.
The ARF-D may also say that the statement was agreed with the `local'
leadership and was a so-called precaution in case the ruling coalition
and the Armenian National Congress reach agreement and `divide' seats
in parliament. ARF-D warns that it will not silence.
Naira Hayrumyan
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/comments23022.html
Published: 15:17:01 - 20/08/2011
The ARF-D Central Committee of West America made serious allegations
against President Sargsyan. The ARF of California refused to attend
the reception which will be organized in Los Angeles on the 20th
anniversary of independence of Armenia, `in honor of President Serzh
Sargsyan'. ARF-D accuses Serzh Sargsyan of leading the country to
social collapse, causing people to emigrate, yielding in the Karabakh
issue and relations with Turkey, discrediting the idea of
independence.
Giro Manoyan, the head of the ARF-D Bureau Office of Political
Affairs, has already issued a disclaimer, noting that `Armenian' ARF-D
disagrees with this position, and does not think the 20th anniversary
of independence should be used for similar statements. For their part,
the `American' ARF-D thinks the 20th anniversary of independence
cannot be used for honoring a discredited president.
The American ARF-D's refusal to support Serzh Sargsyan may lead to an
interesting transformation.
It has been brought up for a number of times that the economic
disaster in Armenia, oligopolies, `criminal' laws, imitation of
democracy is rooted in the dependence of the Armenian government of
Russia where the vicious soviet traditions persist. It has been
brought up for a number of times that the Western Diaspora may help
change the social and political psychology in Armenia. But so far, the
Diaspora has been reluctant to interfere with the process in Armenia,
accepted its government as symbols of the homeland.
The Diaspora is divided by their support of one political party or
another, and the ARF-D has influence on a significant part of
Armenians living outside Armenia. In this context, rejection of Serzh
Sargsyan by pro-ARF-D Armenians traditionally supporting the Armenian
government may influence general moods in the Diaspora.
The government of Armenia may say they don't need the support of the
American Diaspora and they will be right to some extent because in the
past few years the government became reliant on the Armenian Russian
tycoons. And this is only one side of the issue.
The other side is the approach of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun itself. In
the past few years, the leadership of the party moved to Yerevan,
accreted with the government, receiving both economic and political
quotas. Sometimes, the Armenian leadership of the party, despite the
opinion of the ARF-D worldwide, openly or tacitly supported the
Armenian government. Even though the ARF-D left the coalition, it did
not demand the president's resignation and did not take abrupt action.
The behavior of the ARF-D in Armenia regarding the Armenian-Turkish
normalization was softer than outside Armenia.
Despite few seats in parliament and small electorate, the Armenian
government needs the ARF-D's support. At the same time, the Armenian
Dashnaktsutyun would hardly wish to lose its quotas and be pushed out
of the way. The statement of the ARF-D of West America will certainly
give rise to questions to `local' Dashnaktsutyun. They will either
have to announce that they do not share positions or they agree with
the evaluation of their American friends. This would lead to a
break-up with the government, resulting in a new division of property
and business.
ARF-D may announce that the CC of West America said nothing new, and
`local' Dashnaktsutyun has announced the same thing for a number of
times but less roughly. But obviously, it will not be true.
Dashnaktsutyun in Yerevan has never boycotted any event which was
attended by Serzh Sargsyan.
The ARF-D may also say that the statement was agreed with the `local'
leadership and was a so-called precaution in case the ruling coalition
and the Armenian National Congress reach agreement and `divide' seats
in parliament. ARF-D warns that it will not silence.