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LEVON TER-PETROSSIAN'S ZUGZWANG
PanARMENIAN.Net
October 3, 2011 - 11:39 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - During the September 30 rally, leader of the Armenian
National Congress (ANC) Levon Ter-Petrossian announced the start
of round-the-clock rallies and a sit-down strike in Liberty Square,
measures many of Congress supporters demanded back in spring.
The fact that it was a well-thought decision doesn't not arouse
doubts, as the tents in Liberty Square could not appear from nowhere,
following the wish of the crowd. It's also obvious that the decision
was conditioned by the desperate situation the ANC leaders have found
themselves in.
Agreeing to the dialogue with the authorities, Levon Ter-Petrossian,
who used to compare political struggle with a game of chess, was
trapped by President Serzh Sargsyan, who is, ironically, the President
of the Chess Federation of Armenia as well.
Having lost his main tool in the struggle against the leadership -
rallies that gathered many thousands of people - ANC has finally lost
the support of the West, which seems quite satisfied with the current
President and the domestic situation. Besides, the approaches the
former and the incumbent presidents apply towards the two vital issues
- the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and normalization of Armenian-Turkish
relations are somehow similar.
The youth wing of ANC has also contributed to the situation in August,
when the dialogue between the Congress and ruling coalition was
suspended over arrest of young ANC supporters.
Under the circumstances, Ter-Petrossian faces zugzwang. On the one
hand, passivity of ANC and refusal from tough struggle against the
authorities will result in disappointment of the supporters. On the
other hand, ANC lacks real power for a real struggle, as several
thousands of people are not enough not only to make a revolution but
also just to frighten the country's rulers. This zugzwang is aggravated
by the time trouble, as regular elections are impending and possibility
of snap elections - ANC's main demand - becomes more and more vague.
From: Baghdasarian
PanARMENIAN.Net
October 3, 2011 - 11:39 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - During the September 30 rally, leader of the Armenian
National Congress (ANC) Levon Ter-Petrossian announced the start
of round-the-clock rallies and a sit-down strike in Liberty Square,
measures many of Congress supporters demanded back in spring.
The fact that it was a well-thought decision doesn't not arouse
doubts, as the tents in Liberty Square could not appear from nowhere,
following the wish of the crowd. It's also obvious that the decision
was conditioned by the desperate situation the ANC leaders have found
themselves in.
Agreeing to the dialogue with the authorities, Levon Ter-Petrossian,
who used to compare political struggle with a game of chess, was
trapped by President Serzh Sargsyan, who is, ironically, the President
of the Chess Federation of Armenia as well.
Having lost his main tool in the struggle against the leadership -
rallies that gathered many thousands of people - ANC has finally lost
the support of the West, which seems quite satisfied with the current
President and the domestic situation. Besides, the approaches the
former and the incumbent presidents apply towards the two vital issues
- the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and normalization of Armenian-Turkish
relations are somehow similar.
The youth wing of ANC has also contributed to the situation in August,
when the dialogue between the Congress and ruling coalition was
suspended over arrest of young ANC supporters.
Under the circumstances, Ter-Petrossian faces zugzwang. On the one
hand, passivity of ANC and refusal from tough struggle against the
authorities will result in disappointment of the supporters. On the
other hand, ANC lacks real power for a real struggle, as several
thousands of people are not enough not only to make a revolution but
also just to frighten the country's rulers. This zugzwang is aggravated
by the time trouble, as regular elections are impending and possibility
of snap elections - ANC's main demand - becomes more and more vague.
From: Baghdasarian