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Former FM Oskanian on a pathway to political self-destruction?

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  • Former FM Oskanian on a pathway to political self-destruction?

    Former Foreign Minister Oskanian on a pathway to political self-destruction?
    http://www.armenianlife.com/2012/05/11/is-former-foreign-minister-oskanian-on-a-pathway-to-political-self-destruction/

    - May 11, 2012
    By Appo Jabarian
    Executive Publisher/Managing Editor
    USA Armenian Life Magazine

    There is absolutely no doubt that the May 6 Armenian parliamentary
    elections were marred by serious irregularities, large-scale bribes
    and outright fraud. Many political leaders and observers criticized
    the tainted polls - some with healthy, and some others with ulterior
    motives.

    Soon after the elections ended, Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) and
    Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) came under fire by Armenian former
    President Levon Ter-Petrossyan. Interestingly, former Foreign Minister
    Vartan Oskanian, a ranking member of the rival Prosperous Armenia
    Party agreed expediently.

    Oskanian's all-too-willingness to appease the former Pres.
    Ter-Petrossyan seems to have back-fired among his fellow PAP members.
    They questioned Oskanian's allegiance.

    Exacerbating the situation for Mr. Gagik Tsarukyan the leader of PAP,
    Oskanian arbitrarily declared that he `would strongly object to
    Prosperous Armenia's establishing a coalition with the ruling
    Republican Party of Armenia again.' Naira Zohrabyan, the spokeswoman
    of PAP refuted Oskanian's statement.

    Committing one political fiasco after another, he erroneously boasted:
    `The reason for my leaving the government is that I was discontent
    with the situation. Do not think that the authorities longed for my
    resignation, rather, they (Pres. Sargsyan's administration) not only
    offered me a post, but also begged me to stay.'

    In reality, in early 2008, Mr. Oskanian had reportedly appealed and
    reportedly even engaged the lobbying services of second Pres.
    Kocharyan in order to convince Pres. Sargsyan to grant him a cabinet
    post. Back then despite Pres. Kocharyan's efforts with then newly
    elected third Pres. Sargsyan; Oskanian was nixed.

    Last week, belatedly speaking out against corrupt oligarchs, he
    declared: `It seems that people in high echelons of power began to
    realize that things cannot continue in this way.'

    Commentators on A1plus.am questioned his honesty: `Some people asked
    why he did not criticize the authorities when he was holding a
    high-ranking position in the government?'

    Oskanian stated: `When I was the country's foreign minister, I was in
    no way related to the sectors I am criticizing today.'

    But many observers are wondering, how come he has now closely
    associated himself with PAP's Tsarukyan, one of Armenia's top
    oligarchs?

    Can anyone function in Armenia without being closely associated with
    the oligarchs? Twenty years have passed since Armenia's independence
    from the former Soviet Union. Yet, unfortunately Armenia has not been
    able to free itself from the yoke of corrupt leaders and plunderers.

    So why is Mr. Oskanian shedding crocodile tears and for whom? Is it
    because the current powers-that-be refuse to co-opt him?

    Now that he is elected as a Member of Parliament, it is widely
    anticipated that he will milk to the max his new position by
    constantly barraging Armenian readers and viewers with endless chains
    of press conferences fueled by petty personal interests and political
    vendettas.

    As if his dismal popularity both in the homeland and Diaspora wasn't
    worrisome enough, a few days ago, he himself triggered a new wave of
    anti-Oskanian criticism. He said to Today's Zaman Turkish daily: `If
    the problem over the Nagorno-Karabakh could be solved by Armenia and
    Turkey, then Turkey could open its border with Armenia.'

    Was he hinting at his 2007 anti-Armenian declarations as FM? Back then
    he had ignited widespread indignation in Armenia, Artsakh, and the
    Diaspora, when he expressed willingness to `hand' the liberated
    Armenian Karvadjar in Artsakh to Azerbaijan.

    Exposing ex-FM's true persona, in late 2011 the whistleblower website
    Wiki Leaks released a classified cable sent by U.S. Ambassador to
    Armenia Marie Yovanovitch on February 25, 2010 to report on a meeting
    with former FM Oskanian.

    During the meeting, the cable said, Oskanian accused Pres. Sargsyan of
    `mishandling the entire process. In Oskanian's view, the controversy
    surrounding the protocols has prevented any movement on Nagorno
    Karabakh. ... Oskanian criticized the manner in which President Sargsyan
    has handled the entire process. According to him, the President `put
    the cart before the horse.''

    `Oskanian did not understand why ... Pres. Sargsyan began the process
    with Turkey so publicly, and how unprepared he was for the negative
    public reaction. ... the President should have expended his political
    capital with Armenian citizens and the Diaspora to persuade them that
    some of the Nagorno Karabakh territories must be returned to
    Azerbaijan. ... Oskanian said this had been his plan as Foreign
    Minister,' the cable says.

    In response to the ambassador's question on how to move the process
    forward, Oskanian responded that the `protocols cannot be left in
    abeyance. ... He truly hopes the protocols will be ratified by both
    sides.'

    Going further back, in a May 2000 article titled `Exchanging Meghri
    With Karabagh: Good Idea or Political Suicide?,' Harut Sassounian,
    Publisher of The California Courier blasted then FM Oskanian for the
    latter's treasonous idea on giving Meghri to Azerbaijan. During a
    community forum in Glendale, California, Oskanian had tried to `sell'
    the Meghri Plan: `There are many rumors about the resolution of the
    Karabagh conflict. There are criticisms alleging that the Armenian
    authorities want to give Meghri to Azerbaijan. In fact, there is a
    small degree of truth in those rumors. Such a proposal on the exchange
    of territories has been made to the Armenian Republic, to the
    President of Armenia. ... It has been rejected... But when people say that
    it's treasonous to even think about it ... This proposal has a certain
    logic. ... because this proposal is worth thinking about.'

    To which Sassounian swiftly responded in his commentary: `There isn't
    much to think about in this proposal. Armenia is basically being asked
    to cede to Azerbaijan one of the most strategic parts of its already
    tiny territory in return for (Artsakh) Karabagh. This would be
    exchanging one Armenian territory with another. We would be cutting
    off Armenia from Iran, strategically a very important access to the
    outside world. By ceding Meghri, we would also be helping the Turks to
    achieve their age-old dream of Pan-Turkism, linking Turkey through
    Nakhitchevan and Meghri to the Turkic Republics of Central Asia. ... I
    am confident that both Iran and Russia would strongly pressure Armenia
    not to go ahead with it in order to safeguard their interests.
    ...Armenia has nothing to gain and much to lose from such an exchange.'

    Why would any sitting President or future leaders re-engage his
    services fully knowing that during his decade-long tenure as FM,
    Oskanian has caused considerable political damage to Armenia?

    Oskanian was Foreign Minister for too long, without having achieved
    any substantial gains for Armenia. Furthermore, Armenia squandered
    away many valuable opportunities for diplomatic gains in the
    international arena and even sustained self-inflicted damages thanks
    to FM Oskanian's mishandling of several cases at the United Nations
    and elsewhere. He repeatedly failed in giving timely guidance to
    Armenia's ambassadors. On many occasions, Armenia's succeeding
    Permanent Representatives at the UN were deprived of effective
    political orientation because of their incompetent FM's chronic
    inaction. And as a result, they have missed golden opportunities to
    cast important votes. Yet they simply abstained from voting causing an
    Armenian political retreat in the international arena.

    It is also absurd that on countless occasions, as the foreign minister
    of a land-liberating state - Armenia - Oskanian obstinately mislabeled
    the liberated Armenian lands as `occupied' territories!

    In reference to Oskanian's 2007 championing of the so-called Madrid
    Principles, David Boyajian, a leading Armenian American activist
    asked: `Does Oskanian have any guiding principles at all?'

    In 2004, when UK Amb. Thorda Abbott-Watt denied the Armenian Genocide
    there was total silence at the Armenian Foreign Ministry. When
    criticized for his timid muteness then FM Oskanian claimed that he had
    given a diplomatic note `strongly criticizing' the British amb.'s
    denial. But later it became clear that contrary to his allegations
    Oskanian had simply given a friendly note advising the denialist UK
    Ambassador to ignore the Armenian Genocide issue.

    One wonders if Oskanian is more sensitive to his own personal
    interests at the expense of the Armenian people. His over-zealous
    attempts to appease Turkey and its cronies make Armenians wonder if he
    is qualified to hold any diplomatic or government post. Recently over
    2000 students in Turkey were poisoned by toxic milk provided free of
    charge by Ankara. Is it possible that Oskanian too drank tainted
    Turkish milk?

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