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U.S.-ARMENIAN FIGURE SKEPTICAL ABOUT FAIR ELECTION PLEDGE
Tigran Avetisian
http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article/24532872.html
30.03.2012
Armenia -- Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Chairman Ken
Hachikian, undated.xArmenia -- Armenian National Committee of America
(ANCA) Chairman Ken Hachikian, undated.
A prominent American-Armenian public activist who heads the largest
Armenian lobbying group in the United States has cast doubts over
the assurances by the leadership in Yerevan about holding the fairest
elections in the history of the former Soviet state.
Ken Hachikian, who has led the Armenian National Committee of America
(ANCA) since 2000, was in Yerevan to attend a conference of the
Armenian Revolutionary Federation's Hay Dat committees and offices
that opened on Friday.
In an interview with RFE/RL's Armenian Service (Azatutyun.am) the
same day Hachikian expressed a general concern about the fairness of
the Armenian elections. "The past elections have not been fair, they
have not been clean, and it is very important that these elections be
clean," he said. At the same time, he said that he took the assurances
of the Armenian administration about ensuring the fairness of the
May 6 general elections with "a great deal of skepticism".
Still, the noted Armenian-American figure would not cast doubts over
the prospect of the ARF entering the next Armenian parliament.
"We follow the domestic politics in Armenia with a great interest. I
have every reason to believe that the Dashnak Party will pass the
five-percent threshold," Hachikian emphasized.
In the interview the ANCA chairman also addressed the latest efforts
on the international affirmation of the Armenian Genocide.
"I believe the current process on the international recognition of
the Armenian Genocide has picked up considerable momentum in recent
years," said Hachikian, referring to the law in France to criminalize
the denial of the 1915 Armenian Genocide, as well as the passage
in the U.S. House of Representatives of a bill on returning church
properties to Christian minorities in Turkey.
"Even though the law in France has been stalled because of the
constitutional court ruling, its passage in the French parliament
gave considerable momentum and publicity to the issue of genocide
recognition," he emphasized.
Speaking about the prospect of the passage of a resolution to recognize
the Armenian Genocide at the United States Congress, Hachikian said
it was unlikely to happen during this term.
"I don't believe there is going to be an opportune time to be able to
pass the resolution today, in this session. However, I do think that
we may have an opportunity to pass the reparations resolution on church
properties in the United States Senate," the ANCA chairman concluded.
Tigran Avetisian
http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article/24532872.html
30.03.2012
Armenia -- Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Chairman Ken
Hachikian, undated.xArmenia -- Armenian National Committee of America
(ANCA) Chairman Ken Hachikian, undated.
A prominent American-Armenian public activist who heads the largest
Armenian lobbying group in the United States has cast doubts over
the assurances by the leadership in Yerevan about holding the fairest
elections in the history of the former Soviet state.
Ken Hachikian, who has led the Armenian National Committee of America
(ANCA) since 2000, was in Yerevan to attend a conference of the
Armenian Revolutionary Federation's Hay Dat committees and offices
that opened on Friday.
In an interview with RFE/RL's Armenian Service (Azatutyun.am) the
same day Hachikian expressed a general concern about the fairness of
the Armenian elections. "The past elections have not been fair, they
have not been clean, and it is very important that these elections be
clean," he said. At the same time, he said that he took the assurances
of the Armenian administration about ensuring the fairness of the
May 6 general elections with "a great deal of skepticism".
Still, the noted Armenian-American figure would not cast doubts over
the prospect of the ARF entering the next Armenian parliament.
"We follow the domestic politics in Armenia with a great interest. I
have every reason to believe that the Dashnak Party will pass the
five-percent threshold," Hachikian emphasized.
In the interview the ANCA chairman also addressed the latest efforts
on the international affirmation of the Armenian Genocide.
"I believe the current process on the international recognition of
the Armenian Genocide has picked up considerable momentum in recent
years," said Hachikian, referring to the law in France to criminalize
the denial of the 1915 Armenian Genocide, as well as the passage
in the U.S. House of Representatives of a bill on returning church
properties to Christian minorities in Turkey.
"Even though the law in France has been stalled because of the
constitutional court ruling, its passage in the French parliament
gave considerable momentum and publicity to the issue of genocide
recognition," he emphasized.
Speaking about the prospect of the passage of a resolution to recognize
the Armenian Genocide at the United States Congress, Hachikian said
it was unlikely to happen during this term.
"I don't believe there is going to be an opportune time to be able to
pass the resolution today, in this session. However, I do think that
we may have an opportunity to pass the reparations resolution on church
properties in the United States Senate," the ANCA chairman concluded.