Tweet
SARKISIAN-TER-PETROSIAN TANGO CAN'T BE GOOD FOR ARMENIA
by Ara Khachatourian
asbarez
Thursday, April 28th, 2011
Ter-Petrosian addresses protesters on Thursday
The ongoing dance between President Serzh Sarkisian and Armenian
National Congress leader Levon Ter-Petrosian continued Thursday as
the latter claimed victory to his supporters by saying that recent
overtures by the president have enhanced the climate for dialogue.
Ter-Petrosian also claimed that the authorities had given in to
three of his main demands outlined earlier this year in his version
of manifesto. Several weeks ago, Sarkisian told law enforcement
agencies to conduct a thorough investigation into the March 1,
2008 clashes following the presidential election. Earlier this
week, the ban on gatherings and demonstrations in Liberty Square
were lifted and, during a press conference Wednesday, Sarkisian
praised the "extra-parliamentary opposition" and signaled that more
prisoners-Ter-Petrosian loyalists-will be freed.
These gestures from both sides are self-serving, at best. However, the
real danger will be if this so-called "dialogue" turns into collusion,
which will set Armenia back decades. In the end, the Armenian people
will pay the price, once again.
"In this process, the people are becoming a tool, an observer,"
Armenian Revolutionary Federation's Armen Rustamian told RFE/RL's
Armenian service on Thursday. "Under the worst-case scenario, those
political forces will agree on something but the people will eventually
gain nothing from that."
"Right now I don't see signs that this dialogue will lead to a
meaningful improvement of the existing situation," added Rustamian.
After all Sarkisian and Ter-Petrosian are birds of the same feather.
It was their mutual interests that guided Armenia's domestic economic
and foreign policies in the early days of independence and has turned
Armenia into a monolithic oligarchy and has not created an atmosphere
where new-young-leaders can emerge and true change can be implemented.
As early as last week, Ter-Petrosian was reiterating his failed
position on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, when he told the BBC's
Russian service that if Karabakh lands were given back to Azerbaijan,
the conflict would have ended a long time ago. He also claimed that he
was not allowed to see this brilliant vision through due to opposition
from Karabakh and his inner circle.
Armenia's current situation on all fronts is dire and neither
Ter-Petrosian nor Sarkisian are proposing any concrete changes to
turn the tide and initiate positive change. Both men are motivated
by securing their place in authority and as we've seen in the past,
self-righteously rule over Armenia rather than lead it.
Perhaps after this "dialogue" (if it ever transpires) will once and
for all convince Armenia's voters to abandon these Soviet vestiges
that have looted the national wealth, consciousness and psyche and
look inward to find alternatives who can properly lead and strengthen
the Armenian state.
It is up to people to end this political grandstanding by claiming
their rights as citizens.
From: A. Papazian
by Ara Khachatourian
asbarez
Thursday, April 28th, 2011
Ter-Petrosian addresses protesters on Thursday
The ongoing dance between President Serzh Sarkisian and Armenian
National Congress leader Levon Ter-Petrosian continued Thursday as
the latter claimed victory to his supporters by saying that recent
overtures by the president have enhanced the climate for dialogue.
Ter-Petrosian also claimed that the authorities had given in to
three of his main demands outlined earlier this year in his version
of manifesto. Several weeks ago, Sarkisian told law enforcement
agencies to conduct a thorough investigation into the March 1,
2008 clashes following the presidential election. Earlier this
week, the ban on gatherings and demonstrations in Liberty Square
were lifted and, during a press conference Wednesday, Sarkisian
praised the "extra-parliamentary opposition" and signaled that more
prisoners-Ter-Petrosian loyalists-will be freed.
These gestures from both sides are self-serving, at best. However, the
real danger will be if this so-called "dialogue" turns into collusion,
which will set Armenia back decades. In the end, the Armenian people
will pay the price, once again.
"In this process, the people are becoming a tool, an observer,"
Armenian Revolutionary Federation's Armen Rustamian told RFE/RL's
Armenian service on Thursday. "Under the worst-case scenario, those
political forces will agree on something but the people will eventually
gain nothing from that."
"Right now I don't see signs that this dialogue will lead to a
meaningful improvement of the existing situation," added Rustamian.
After all Sarkisian and Ter-Petrosian are birds of the same feather.
It was their mutual interests that guided Armenia's domestic economic
and foreign policies in the early days of independence and has turned
Armenia into a monolithic oligarchy and has not created an atmosphere
where new-young-leaders can emerge and true change can be implemented.
As early as last week, Ter-Petrosian was reiterating his failed
position on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, when he told the BBC's
Russian service that if Karabakh lands were given back to Azerbaijan,
the conflict would have ended a long time ago. He also claimed that he
was not allowed to see this brilliant vision through due to opposition
from Karabakh and his inner circle.
Armenia's current situation on all fronts is dire and neither
Ter-Petrosian nor Sarkisian are proposing any concrete changes to
turn the tide and initiate positive change. Both men are motivated
by securing their place in authority and as we've seen in the past,
self-righteously rule over Armenia rather than lead it.
Perhaps after this "dialogue" (if it ever transpires) will once and
for all convince Armenia's voters to abandon these Soviet vestiges
that have looted the national wealth, consciousness and psyche and
look inward to find alternatives who can properly lead and strengthen
the Armenian state.
It is up to people to end this political grandstanding by claiming
their rights as citizens.
From: A. Papazian