OIL AND WATER: LTP/ARF MEET FOR SAKE OF APPARENT UNITY
- Last week the political field of Armenia was stirred by a meeting that would be simply impossible 13 years ago at least for one reason – the representatives of one of the meeting’s sides were in prison upon the order of the other. The meeting between Levon Ter-Petrosyan and the representative of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Hrant Margaryan and the representative of the Supreme Body of the ARF Armen Rustamyan in ARF’s office on September 29th was a new turning point in the pre-election political life.
The meeting – the first ever in 14 years – gave way to various interpretations that “the first president had gone for absolution or extended the hand of peace.”
However, as Hrant Margaryan says: “Both of us deliberately did not speak of the past, because, after all, all of us, I believe, have to care more about the future of our country, our people.”
According to Margaryan, the sides have agreed on keeping up the level of political-ideological struggle and avoid abuses, to keep some of the rules of the game during the struggle with the purpose of establishing political culture in the country during the upcoming election.
Margaryan says the acceptance of the invitation is important in that they showed by their personal example the necessity in creating an atmosphere of peace and tolerance and political culture in the country.
Political analyst Yervand Bozoyan qualifies this unexpected visit a serious PR decision to facilitate increased approval ratings.
“The first president showed the opposition he has larger opportunity of creating coalition, and ARF raised its rating among the authorities showing that it has more aspirations than is expected,” Bozoyan says.
At a meeting with journalists at the National Assembly PM Serzh Sargsyan called the return of the first president who stayed isolated from active politics natural.
“What does it mean: the former president returns to politics? I deeply believe all the former presidents – whether the first, the second, the third or the twentieth – everywhere are always engaged in politics. Otherwise the politics will be engaged with them, and it’s always the case,” the PM says.
The PM’s party members also say this kind of development, expected by the PM, is normal for them as well.
Armen Ashotyan, a member of Republican Party of Armenia jokes saying: “The international political community understood: if Levon Ter-Petrosyan has met the ARF, then even the Arab-Israeli conflict can be solved.”
For many of the opposition the visit was a surprise, although desired, and showed, they say, Levon Ter-Petrosyan has serious intentions; ARF proved in its turn it is not led by pure emotions in the ongoing political processes in Armenia.
Suren Surenyants of the Republic Party political council says the fact of the meeting is a bit difficult to swallow in ideological terms, but is important in terms of political necessity.
“But this does not mean of course the first president’s team can cooperate with the ARF. They can come to agreement only on the rules of the political struggle, the game, but not cooperate, because the Armenian All-National Movement and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation are opposing poles in ideological and political terms,” Surenyants says.
Artashes Geghamyan, leader of the National Unity Party sees the meeting between the ARF and the ANM very positively believing it a step forward to the process of starting wide-scale negotiations.
And he has found a new answer to question about the nomination of the first president.
“Whatever I say will be sensation but it is true: his nomination will be clarified after upcoming official visits of Serzh Sargsyan,” says Geghamyan referring to the upcoming OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs meeting concerning the Karabakh problem.
According to Geghamyan everything will be clear after October 25th.
Meanwhile Ter-Petrosyan’s speech and the question on whether it signaled the first president’s nomination on the presidential election are still discussed.
Veteran member of the parliament Victor Dallakyan believes the first president’s appeal to return to politics does not mean yet he will be nominated.
“Who said the first president can’t have a long-term plan to form a new team and take part in the parliamentary election of 2012? After all according to the acting Constitution the question of power is solved at the parliamentary election: the one who has majority in the parliament, [and therefore] a Prime-Minister, is the one who holds the real power in his hands,” says Dallakyan.
Khosrov Harutyunyan, leader of the Christian-Democratic Union of Armenia is more pragmatic in this matter and is confident the first president’s speech was a direct message to the outer world with an expectation of its support.
“There was a hope, an intention to get the support of large international organizations. It is not excluded this is one of the opportunities to get resources,” Harutyunyan says.
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- 1813 The Russian-Persian Treaty is signed at Fort Gyulistan (Artsakh). It ended the war that had started in 1804. According to the agreement, Persia recognizes the provinces of Artsakh, Gyandja, Shaki, Shoragual, Talish, Derbent, Ghoobay, Pambak, Zangezoor, Shirvan, Baku, Loree and Shamshadin as belonging to the Russian Empire.
- 1882 Birth of literary critic Hovhanness Avagyan. He died in 1959.
- 1895 Rebellion breaks out at Zeitoon against Turkish administrative malpractices.
- 1961 The Armenian SSR decides to rename the Kotayk, Abovian and Adini regions to Ani region.
- 1962 Diasporan Armenians begin a new repatriation program to Armenia.
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