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ARMENIAN OPPOSITION, DOWN ON DIALOGUE, GOES BACK TO PROTESTS
By Marianna Grigoryan, Eurasianet
Tert.am
18:32 ~U 09.09.11
Disillusioned with its "open dialogue" with the government, Armenia's
largest opposition coalition, the Armenian National Congress, is
falling back on a familiar tactic -- taking to the streets. The
question is: will ordinary Armenians follow?
The opposition-government dialogue commenced during the summer then
hit a speed bump August 9, when opposition youth activists and Yerevan
police clashed, resulting in the detention of one activist. Armenian
National Congress (ANC) representatives have shunned meetings with
government officials since August 26.
Calling on supporters to "show their strength," ANC leaders are
planning to gather on September 9 in Yerevan to demand the release
of the jailed activist, 30-year-old Tigran Arakelyan. They are also
pressing for early presidential and parliamentary elections.
The ANC's rejection of talks clearly has annoyed representatives of
President Serzh Sargsyan's administration. "It is not right to speak
with ultimatums inside one's own country; it will never end well,"
huffed Hovhannes Sahakyan, a MP for the governing Republican Party
of Armenia.
"I don't think the so-called dialogue, which aimed to solve a
serious state problem, should've been stopped because of a certain
Tigran Arakelyan," commented national police chief Alik Sargsyan to
the Armenian-language service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty on
September 1. "If it had to be interrupted by Tigran Arakelyan, then
it's very good it stopped; it should never have started. We don't
need such a dialogue."
A substantial portion of opposition supporters were never enthusiastic
about the discussions. Some voiced anger over the decision during the
summer of ANC leader Levon Ter-Petrosyan to engage the government,
which he had previously denounced for various abuses of power. With
the dialogue showing no signs of producing fast results, Ter-Petrosyan
may have opted out in order to prevent internal discontent within
the ANC from growing.
Experts are sceptical about whether a return to street-protest
tactics is a wise move for the ANC. Some observers say that after
a three-year-plus run of rallies and constant conflict with the
government over detentions and freedom of assembly issues, many
Armenians are suffering from fatigue and just want to move forward.
Economic factors, in particular rapid inflation and persistently high
unemployment, have helped fuel political apathy, they add.
"[T]he time for street rallies and public demonstrations has passed,"
said Regional Studies Center Director Richard Giragosian. "The people
are expecting alternative policies and proposals, beyond simple calls
for change. This is the real challenge, moving political conflict to
a higher arena of fighting for policies, not personalities."
Yervand Bozoyan, an independent analyst, said the ANC now stands at a
political crossroads. "If the opposition does not change its tactics
it will lose more and more supporters," he said.
Bozoyan expects the ANC to embrace "different methods" in order to
build support prior to parliamentary elections, scheduled for May
2012. But so far, ANC leaders have not given any indication that
they will make a significant tactical shift. ANC spokesperson Arman
Musinyan indicated that coalition leaders will outline a short-term
strategy at the September 9 rally, but he provided no specifics.
Armenia's other major opposition force -- the nationalist Armenian
Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutyun - finds itself in a similar
position to the ANC. As it prepares for the coming legislative
election campaign, ARF leaders appear to be leaning heavily on staging
"regime-change" rallies.
Continuing reliance on protest tactics stand to drive the opposition
coalition in a radical direction, diminishing any chances for success
in the upcoming parliamentary vote. According to sociologist Aharon
Adibekyan, "radical" opposition members are not happy with the ANC,
but "whatever happens, they will participate in opposition rallies."
"It would be an exaggeration," Adibekyan added, "to say that these
would be nationwide rallies."
By Marianna Grigoryan, Eurasianet
Tert.am
18:32 ~U 09.09.11
Disillusioned with its "open dialogue" with the government, Armenia's
largest opposition coalition, the Armenian National Congress, is
falling back on a familiar tactic -- taking to the streets. The
question is: will ordinary Armenians follow?
The opposition-government dialogue commenced during the summer then
hit a speed bump August 9, when opposition youth activists and Yerevan
police clashed, resulting in the detention of one activist. Armenian
National Congress (ANC) representatives have shunned meetings with
government officials since August 26.
Calling on supporters to "show their strength," ANC leaders are
planning to gather on September 9 in Yerevan to demand the release
of the jailed activist, 30-year-old Tigran Arakelyan. They are also
pressing for early presidential and parliamentary elections.
The ANC's rejection of talks clearly has annoyed representatives of
President Serzh Sargsyan's administration. "It is not right to speak
with ultimatums inside one's own country; it will never end well,"
huffed Hovhannes Sahakyan, a MP for the governing Republican Party
of Armenia.
"I don't think the so-called dialogue, which aimed to solve a
serious state problem, should've been stopped because of a certain
Tigran Arakelyan," commented national police chief Alik Sargsyan to
the Armenian-language service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty on
September 1. "If it had to be interrupted by Tigran Arakelyan, then
it's very good it stopped; it should never have started. We don't
need such a dialogue."
A substantial portion of opposition supporters were never enthusiastic
about the discussions. Some voiced anger over the decision during the
summer of ANC leader Levon Ter-Petrosyan to engage the government,
which he had previously denounced for various abuses of power. With
the dialogue showing no signs of producing fast results, Ter-Petrosyan
may have opted out in order to prevent internal discontent within
the ANC from growing.
Experts are sceptical about whether a return to street-protest
tactics is a wise move for the ANC. Some observers say that after
a three-year-plus run of rallies and constant conflict with the
government over detentions and freedom of assembly issues, many
Armenians are suffering from fatigue and just want to move forward.
Economic factors, in particular rapid inflation and persistently high
unemployment, have helped fuel political apathy, they add.
"[T]he time for street rallies and public demonstrations has passed,"
said Regional Studies Center Director Richard Giragosian. "The people
are expecting alternative policies and proposals, beyond simple calls
for change. This is the real challenge, moving political conflict to
a higher arena of fighting for policies, not personalities."
Yervand Bozoyan, an independent analyst, said the ANC now stands at a
political crossroads. "If the opposition does not change its tactics
it will lose more and more supporters," he said.
Bozoyan expects the ANC to embrace "different methods" in order to
build support prior to parliamentary elections, scheduled for May
2012. But so far, ANC leaders have not given any indication that
they will make a significant tactical shift. ANC spokesperson Arman
Musinyan indicated that coalition leaders will outline a short-term
strategy at the September 9 rally, but he provided no specifics.
Armenia's other major opposition force -- the nationalist Armenian
Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutyun - finds itself in a similar
position to the ANC. As it prepares for the coming legislative
election campaign, ARF leaders appear to be leaning heavily on staging
"regime-change" rallies.
Continuing reliance on protest tactics stand to drive the opposition
coalition in a radical direction, diminishing any chances for success
in the upcoming parliamentary vote. According to sociologist Aharon
Adibekyan, "radical" opposition members are not happy with the ANC,
but "whatever happens, they will participate in opposition rallies."
"It would be an exaggeration," Adibekyan added, "to say that these
would be nationwide rallies."