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HERITAGE PARTY LEADER SLAMS ICAPP BAKU DECLARATION AS 'SHAM'
November 27, 2012 - 14:53 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - Upon his return to Armenia, Heritage party leader
and presidential hopeful Raffi Hovannisian addressed a letter to the
co-chairmen of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties,
the 7th General Assembly of which Hovannisian had addressed in Baku
on Nov 23.
"The "Baku declaration" is a sham and a forgery. It was imposed
upon the delegates to the Assembly in flagrant disrespect of their
rights and dignity; in intentional violation of the procedures of
the organization which required a) adoption by consensus (at least
I opposed it publicly and in no uncertain terms) and b) distribution
of its final draft to all delegates before the closing session (which
was purposefully not done); and in what appeared to be a premeditated
conspiracy of commission (at least by the distinguished senator from
Pakistan who headed the drafting committee and was informed in advance
that I demanded, in accordance with the aforementioned procedural
preconditions, to see the draft declaration and to speak in reference
to it if it turned out to be one-sided, partisan and/or untruthful)
and of silence (both of you sat quietly by as the ICAPP rules and
regulations were being railroaded by the Azerbaijani delegation and the
senator in charge of drafting the resolution)," Mr. Hovannisian said.
"As you well know, not only was I denied the right to reply when
during the 4th plenary session at least five Azerbaijani delegates
attacked me by name with slanderous falsehoods and calls to arms,
but I was expressly refused my fundamental prerogative to express
my position on participating in, or opposing, the consensus required
for adoption of the declaration."
"In short, there was no consensus; the rule of law was mocked in
broad daylight; and, what is worse, the text of the "final" document
included a section on Nagorno Karabakh which was stealthily added
at the last moment, hence rendering it a declaration of standard
Azerbaijani propaganda which not only was spurious and self-serving but
effectively supported their war rhetoric and incitement to violence
(as manifested in the most uncivil banging of fists to which all
of us can testify) instead of the cause of peace, security, and
reconciliation. How ironic. I do not know if this was the price the
ICAPP leadership had to pay in exchange for the arrangements and other
undisclosed benefits delivered by the host state and its ruling party.
Frankly, that is not my concern, but rather a matter for your
conscience and of your own fidelity to the high principles and values
of ICAPP," the Armenian politician said.
"I hereby demand that you do the right thing, correct your misconduct,
and cancel the corruption called the "Baku declaration," as well as
its publication, forthwith and in toto. That failing - and even if
no other delegate of good conscience registers his or her protest
in formal Fashion - I demand that you remove the word "Armenia"
from that falsified piece of paper. If the ICAPP leadership wishes
to remain complicit in this deceitful, bellicose affair, and wants
to associate itself with war and not pacific settlement, that is your
choice. I will not be a part of it," he said.
November 27, 2012 - 14:53 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - Upon his return to Armenia, Heritage party leader
and presidential hopeful Raffi Hovannisian addressed a letter to the
co-chairmen of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties,
the 7th General Assembly of which Hovannisian had addressed in Baku
on Nov 23.
"The "Baku declaration" is a sham and a forgery. It was imposed
upon the delegates to the Assembly in flagrant disrespect of their
rights and dignity; in intentional violation of the procedures of
the organization which required a) adoption by consensus (at least
I opposed it publicly and in no uncertain terms) and b) distribution
of its final draft to all delegates before the closing session (which
was purposefully not done); and in what appeared to be a premeditated
conspiracy of commission (at least by the distinguished senator from
Pakistan who headed the drafting committee and was informed in advance
that I demanded, in accordance with the aforementioned procedural
preconditions, to see the draft declaration and to speak in reference
to it if it turned out to be one-sided, partisan and/or untruthful)
and of silence (both of you sat quietly by as the ICAPP rules and
regulations were being railroaded by the Azerbaijani delegation and the
senator in charge of drafting the resolution)," Mr. Hovannisian said.
"As you well know, not only was I denied the right to reply when
during the 4th plenary session at least five Azerbaijani delegates
attacked me by name with slanderous falsehoods and calls to arms,
but I was expressly refused my fundamental prerogative to express
my position on participating in, or opposing, the consensus required
for adoption of the declaration."
"In short, there was no consensus; the rule of law was mocked in
broad daylight; and, what is worse, the text of the "final" document
included a section on Nagorno Karabakh which was stealthily added
at the last moment, hence rendering it a declaration of standard
Azerbaijani propaganda which not only was spurious and self-serving but
effectively supported their war rhetoric and incitement to violence
(as manifested in the most uncivil banging of fists to which all
of us can testify) instead of the cause of peace, security, and
reconciliation. How ironic. I do not know if this was the price the
ICAPP leadership had to pay in exchange for the arrangements and other
undisclosed benefits delivered by the host state and its ruling party.
Frankly, that is not my concern, but rather a matter for your
conscience and of your own fidelity to the high principles and values
of ICAPP," the Armenian politician said.
"I hereby demand that you do the right thing, correct your misconduct,
and cancel the corruption called the "Baku declaration," as well as
its publication, forthwith and in toto. That failing - and even if
no other delegate of good conscience registers his or her protest
in formal Fashion - I demand that you remove the word "Armenia"
from that falsified piece of paper. If the ICAPP leadership wishes
to remain complicit in this deceitful, bellicose affair, and wants
to associate itself with war and not pacific settlement, that is your
choice. I will not be a part of it," he said.