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DOUBLE CONTRADICTION
http://www.aravot.am/en/2012/10/02/115674/
October 2, 2012 13:35
Artashes Geghamyan, a member of the Republican Party of Armenia
(RPA) parliamentary group, made a speech yesterday "in support
of" withdrawing Vartan Oskanian's immunity. He also talked about
geopolitical issues. As far as I understood, the MP's point was the
following - Mr. Oskanian was financially supported by outstanding
member of the US Republican Party Jon Huntsman (one shouldn't
pretend that it is not the case; it is another matter that it is not
money laundering). Mr. Huntsman's party rather strongly criticizes
Putin's regime. However, Mr. Oskanian's party and its factual founder
Robert Kocharyan have quite a warm attitude toward both Putin's and
Lukashenka's regimes probably feeling certain spiritual connection
with them. So MP Geghamyan who is also a propagator of this "Eurasian"
(crude-authoritarian) mentality legitimately sees a contradiction here.
It is significant that yesterday members of the parliament didn't
talk much about money, transfers and accounts; rather, they talked
about politics, because the issue itself is political and related to
the upcoming presidential election. Some people claim that Oskanian,
along with his controversies, can be the opposition candidate and
that is the very reason why he is put under pressure. Others say that
the government deliberately puts the halo of "martyrdom" on the former
Foreign Minister's head, in order that he is considered the alternative
and easily loses the election. Naturally, no one believes that one
should start establishing law and order among MPs from Vartan Oskanian
and not say Vardan Ayvazyan or a few dozens of MPs representing the
Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) and the Prosperous Armenia Party
(PAP).
However, the contradiction noticed by Mr. Geghamyan is not the only
one. Another contradiction is related to the position of the Armenian
National Congress (ANC). On the one hand, that party - by the way, it
is high time that members of the ANC admit that they are members of a
party and not a party alliance - cannot but defend an MP from political
persecution. On the other hand, it cannot but remind the former Foreign
Minister and a pivotal figure in Kocharyan's team about his sins. I for
one would have reminded him also about how in 2008, members of the PAP
accepted the state of emergency that brutally suppressed democracy and
how easily they "handed over" their opposition partners. Didn't they
care about political revenge at the time? Or perhaps they couldn't
imagine that they would appear in the same position in 4 years.
In a nutshell, Vartan Oskanian is not an appropriate candidate for
the ANC. Although who knows how far pragmatism and realpolitik can go?
ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
From: Baghdasarian
http://www.aravot.am/en/2012/10/02/115674/
October 2, 2012 13:35
Artashes Geghamyan, a member of the Republican Party of Armenia
(RPA) parliamentary group, made a speech yesterday "in support
of" withdrawing Vartan Oskanian's immunity. He also talked about
geopolitical issues. As far as I understood, the MP's point was the
following - Mr. Oskanian was financially supported by outstanding
member of the US Republican Party Jon Huntsman (one shouldn't
pretend that it is not the case; it is another matter that it is not
money laundering). Mr. Huntsman's party rather strongly criticizes
Putin's regime. However, Mr. Oskanian's party and its factual founder
Robert Kocharyan have quite a warm attitude toward both Putin's and
Lukashenka's regimes probably feeling certain spiritual connection
with them. So MP Geghamyan who is also a propagator of this "Eurasian"
(crude-authoritarian) mentality legitimately sees a contradiction here.
It is significant that yesterday members of the parliament didn't
talk much about money, transfers and accounts; rather, they talked
about politics, because the issue itself is political and related to
the upcoming presidential election. Some people claim that Oskanian,
along with his controversies, can be the opposition candidate and
that is the very reason why he is put under pressure. Others say that
the government deliberately puts the halo of "martyrdom" on the former
Foreign Minister's head, in order that he is considered the alternative
and easily loses the election. Naturally, no one believes that one
should start establishing law and order among MPs from Vartan Oskanian
and not say Vardan Ayvazyan or a few dozens of MPs representing the
Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) and the Prosperous Armenia Party
(PAP).
However, the contradiction noticed by Mr. Geghamyan is not the only
one. Another contradiction is related to the position of the Armenian
National Congress (ANC). On the one hand, that party - by the way, it
is high time that members of the ANC admit that they are members of a
party and not a party alliance - cannot but defend an MP from political
persecution. On the other hand, it cannot but remind the former Foreign
Minister and a pivotal figure in Kocharyan's team about his sins. I for
one would have reminded him also about how in 2008, members of the PAP
accepted the state of emergency that brutally suppressed democracy and
how easily they "handed over" their opposition partners. Didn't they
care about political revenge at the time? Or perhaps they couldn't
imagine that they would appear in the same position in 4 years.
In a nutshell, Vartan Oskanian is not an appropriate candidate for
the ANC. Although who knows how far pragmatism and realpolitik can go?
ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
From: Baghdasarian