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ARMENIA'S POLITICAL CHESS: THE SARGSYAN DEFENSE
by Giorgi Lomsadze
EurasiaNet.org
Nov 4 2011
NY
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan is moving key pieces to a new center
of action on Armenia's political chessboard for election 2012. Mikael
Minasian, the president's son-in-law-cum-deputy-chief-of-staff,
became the latest and perhaps most influential figure to quit his
day job in the presidential entourage to join Team Sargsyan for next
year's parliamentary vote.
Minasian will be joining [ex-Parliamentary Speaker] Hovik Abrahamian in
running the campaign of Sargsyan's ruling Republican Party of Armenia.
Armenian media linked the reshuffle to efforts to build up defensive
lines against a possible election bid by President Sargsyan's
predecessor (and fellow Nagorno-Karabakh native), Robert Kocharian.
Media have also speculated about possible defections from the Sargsyan
team to Kocharian.
Perhaps with the chaotic presidential election of 2008 in mind,
Minasian said he will make sure that Armenia will emerge post-election
strong and "looking confidently into the future."
But, given that the election is likely to be about confrontation
between at least two presidents, one former (Levon Ter-Petrosian)
and one current, Armenian politics may ultimately prove to be what
one fictional chess queen (Alice in Wonderland) would term "living
backwards" -- something that may "make one a little giddy at first,"
but allows "one's memory" to work "both ways."
by Giorgi Lomsadze
EurasiaNet.org
Nov 4 2011
NY
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan is moving key pieces to a new center
of action on Armenia's political chessboard for election 2012. Mikael
Minasian, the president's son-in-law-cum-deputy-chief-of-staff,
became the latest and perhaps most influential figure to quit his
day job in the presidential entourage to join Team Sargsyan for next
year's parliamentary vote.
Minasian will be joining [ex-Parliamentary Speaker] Hovik Abrahamian in
running the campaign of Sargsyan's ruling Republican Party of Armenia.
Armenian media linked the reshuffle to efforts to build up defensive
lines against a possible election bid by President Sargsyan's
predecessor (and fellow Nagorno-Karabakh native), Robert Kocharian.
Media have also speculated about possible defections from the Sargsyan
team to Kocharian.
Perhaps with the chaotic presidential election of 2008 in mind,
Minasian said he will make sure that Armenia will emerge post-election
strong and "looking confidently into the future."
But, given that the election is likely to be about confrontation
between at least two presidents, one former (Levon Ter-Petrosian)
and one current, Armenian politics may ultimately prove to be what
one fictional chess queen (Alice in Wonderland) would term "living
backwards" -- something that may "make one a little giddy at first,"
but allows "one's memory" to work "both ways."