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ARMENIA PAID TOO MUCH FOR INDEPENDENCE, EXPERT SAYS
Tert.am
11:36 20.09.11
In 1991, ninety percent of Armenia's population was against
independence, and 40% of Parliament members representing the Armenian
National Movement (ANM) was against Armenia's seceding from the USSR,
Aharon Adibekyan, Director of the Sociometer center, told journalists
Sept. 20.
The reason was that 40% of Armenia's industrial output was exported
to the USSR market, he added.
"None of the ANM leaders was an engineer or an economist. They were
extremely enthusiastic people who did not even think of the cost we
would have to pay for independence. The country was impoverished in
one day," Adibekyan said. The "independence-caused" social situation
resulted in emigration, he added.
Adibekyan disagreed with the ANM Aram Manukyan, who claimed that over
2m people took part in the referendum on independence. "Only 40 per
cent of people enjoying the voting right took part in the referendum,"
he said.
"We were doomed to become independent because the USSR was collapsing,"
Adibekyan said. Freedom was the basis of Armenia's independence -
"there was no fascism." "To quote Mr. Ronald Reagan, we were shattering
the Evil Empire," the expert said.
Armenia is Russia's "outpost" in the region now, which allows it to
receive some aid. "However, we do not yet see the sweet fruits of
independence so that we might live a prosperous life," the expert
added. "We should draw lessons from the process of independence and
realize that most of the problems have not been resolved and need to
be resolved in the near future," Adibekyan said.
From: Baghdasarian
Tert.am
11:36 20.09.11
In 1991, ninety percent of Armenia's population was against
independence, and 40% of Parliament members representing the Armenian
National Movement (ANM) was against Armenia's seceding from the USSR,
Aharon Adibekyan, Director of the Sociometer center, told journalists
Sept. 20.
The reason was that 40% of Armenia's industrial output was exported
to the USSR market, he added.
"None of the ANM leaders was an engineer or an economist. They were
extremely enthusiastic people who did not even think of the cost we
would have to pay for independence. The country was impoverished in
one day," Adibekyan said. The "independence-caused" social situation
resulted in emigration, he added.
Adibekyan disagreed with the ANM Aram Manukyan, who claimed that over
2m people took part in the referendum on independence. "Only 40 per
cent of people enjoying the voting right took part in the referendum,"
he said.
"We were doomed to become independent because the USSR was collapsing,"
Adibekyan said. Freedom was the basis of Armenia's independence -
"there was no fascism." "To quote Mr. Ronald Reagan, we were shattering
the Evil Empire," the expert said.
Armenia is Russia's "outpost" in the region now, which allows it to
receive some aid. "However, we do not yet see the sweet fruits of
independence so that we might live a prosperous life," the expert
added. "We should draw lessons from the process of independence and
realize that most of the problems have not been resolved and need to
be resolved in the near future," Adibekyan said.
From: Baghdasarian