TER-PETROSIAN BLASTS ‘UNPRINCIPLED’ WEST

Opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosian lashed out at Western powers on Tuesday for their perceived leniency towards the Armenian government, saying that they are abetting its growing authoritarian tendencies to gain greater leverage against Armenia. “I am developing a conviction that the West is not interested in having a legitimate and strong government in Armenia,” charged Ter-Petrosian. “The weaker, the more vulnerable, the more Asian, the more undemocratic [that government is,] the better for them. “The Armenian authorities are thereby becoming submissive and meek tools that are constantly in [the West’s] debt and ready to do anything they are told to in return for the recognition of their legitimacy. Anything they are told to, including on the Karabakh issue, Turkish-Armenian relations, the fight against international terrorism and so on.” “They are simply depriving Armenia of its right to make decisions on its own,” he added. Ter-Petrosian had claimed earlier that with their initial, largely positive, assessment of the conduct of the February 19 presidential election Western election monitors effectively gave Armenian authorities the blank check to use lethal force against his supporters protesting against official vote results. At least ten people were killed and more than 100 others injured as security forces put an end to the post-election street protests in Yerevan on March 1. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe subsequently revised that assessment, reporting serious irregularities during the counting and recounting of ballots in its final election report. The United States has been even more critical of the disputed vote and now considers it “significantly flawed.” Ter-Petrosian was on Tuesday particularly scathing about the Council of Europe’s unwillingness to censure the Armenian authorities for their failure to end their post-election crackdown on the opposition. In an April resolution, the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) demanded the urgent release of all Ter-Petrosian supporters arrested on “seemingly artificial and politically motivated charges,” the scrapping of serious restrictions on freedom of assembly and the launch of an independent inquiry into the March 1 clashes. It warned that failure to take these measures by late June could lead to the suspension of the voting rights of its four Armenian members. The 47-nation assembly said last week that Yerevan has failed to fully comply with the resolution. Nonetheless, it decided not to sanction the administration of President Serzh Sarkisian, extending the deadline for meeting the PACE demands until next January. Speaking at a news conference, Ter-Petrosian denounced this approach and branded the two main authors of the PACE’s follow-up resolution, John Prescott and Georges Colombier, as “defense lawyers” of the Sarkisian administration. “Had they been principled, they would have imposed sanctions and stripped Armenia of voting rights back in April and there would not have been a single political prisoner today,” he said. As well as demanding an end to the government crackdown, the latest PACE resolution calls on the Ter-Petrosian-led opposition to send a representative to ad hoc commission of the Armenian parliament tasked with investigating the March 1 unrest. It at the same time expresses misgivings about the “impartiality and independence” of a body dominated by pro-government lawmakers. “They are saying that they can’t trust this commission, that it can’t hold an independent inquiry, that its composition fully mirrors that of the governing coalition, but are still urging the opposition to participate in its work,” scoffed Ter-Petrosian. “What is this? This is a ridicule.” (Photolur photo)
By Ruzanna Khachatrian

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Discussion

106 days before | remove (4) | reply
ARSHAK-10 wrote:
You "Fixed" Armenia... Why don't you go and "Fix" the West now...
106 days before | remove (4) | reply
Rafael wrote:
LTP please, please give up your 'struggle' I thought you were smart. and now you realize the west doesn't care about a tiny, crappy country like Armenia. Maybe if you lived in the West and associated with Western Politics you would realzie just how peripheral Armenia is
106 days before | remove (4) | reply
hay wrote:
- Rafael
  LTP please, please give up your 'struggle' I thought you were smart. and now you realize the west doesn't care about a tiny, crappy country like Armenia. Maybe if you lived in the West and associated with Western Politics you would realzie just how peripheral Armenia is
look you moron Armenia is not crapy. You are crapy with your BS. None needs your shitty comments here.
106 days before | remove (4) | reply
Rafael wrote:
If Armenia isn't a crappy country what is it then? A country of prosperity? A country of rule of law? equality before the law? Go and live there under the current regime, and you'll be crying to go back.
106 days before | remove (4) | reply
Rafael wrote:
- hay
  look you moron Armenia is not crapy. You are crapy with your BS. None needs your shitty comments here.
if you can't post any comments without 'moron' or 'shitty' or other vulgar words don't bother commenting.
106 days before | remove (5) | reply
Thomas wrote:
LTP has no morals! He is using more and more reverse psychology so the public will show up at his rallies. He never gave a damn about Gyumri. Everyone remembers how he swindled the earthquake funds.
We are getting tired of LTP's barks. He's not going to get his gang members out of jail, sorry! They have to face the justice and he has to follow them!
On the other hand, I'm impressed by the positive attitude of Sargsyan's government. They are busy with hard constructive work while this moron keeps on barking.
105 days before | remove (4) | reply
Rafael wrote:
yes Thomas,
SS is very impressive, he is getting rid of all RK goons, and he is making cops do their job, he is also stressing taxation collection. Also he is inviting our neighbor Mr. Gul to Armenia, and he is also ready to start a dialogue about the Armenian genocide
105 days before | remove (4) | reply
славик баквеци wrote:
братки не гоните воздух
105 days before | remove (3) | reply
Abo wrote:

LTP is the only one who could save Armenia from this gang of worthless criminals (Serj and his gang.
Serj is distroying this country faster than we think. Armenia has turned into a place no-one wants to be in, not even Serj.
His plans are simple: fill his pockets and then leave Armenia and live in the West with his family. That what all the corrupt gang of politiicians think.
105 days before | remove (4) | reply
MIHRAN wrote:
- Abo
  LTP is the only one who could save Armenia from this gang of worthless criminals (Serj and his gang.
  Serj is distroying this country faster than we think. Armenia has turned into a place no-one wants to be in, not even Serj.
  His plans are simple: fill his pockets and then leave Armenia and live in the West with his family. That what all the corrupt gang of politiicians think.
RAFAEL
SS is indee doing a good job,as far as the internal situation is concerned,including the detainees.No matter how much LTP will push for their release,they should be released only after the court makes a decision,new factual revelations were pronounced by SS.LTP will state as lies,but it's understandable.
LTP guys are cheap,NOT STRAIGHT FORWARD PEOPLE. you know how he manipulated every thing to plesase the west... now he is using reverse phsycology...
However SS should be more specific and prudent whenever turkey is involved,(GENOCIDE OR ELSE)we all know how fast they twist even the most straight forward statements.
Mihran
105 days before | remove (4) | reply
Rafael wrote:
Mihran,
Ofcourse SS will not go as far as to negate the genocide. However we must also realize is SS doing all this for the people to view him a a legitimate president, view him as the antithesis of RK??? I would think there is something in SS that is for the minimum doing such presidential acts to be different and better than RK, to not be counted as part of the karabagh clan
105 days before | remove (4) | reply
Kristina wrote:
If Armenia was so peripheral and crapy the West would not have tried another colored revolution in Armenia few months ago! Armenia is very much important based on its strategic loaction. I think you should stick to your economics major only...because after making such an idiotic statement, you're just going to waste your time in majoring in poli sci.
What a moron!
Yeah I guess for even Russia Armenia is crapy or peripheral and has no meaning since you claim that Armenia is so crappy.
- Rafael
  LTP please, please give up your 'struggle' I thought you were smart. and now you realize the west doesn't care about a tiny, crappy country like Armenia. Maybe if you lived in the West and associated with Western Politics you would realzie just how peripheral Armenia is
105 days before | remove (4) | reply
Kristina wrote:
Under whose regime did Armenian run away from Armenia you moron????
Think before you speak.
Tupoi
- Rafael
  If Armenia isn't a crappy country what is it then? A country of prosperity? A country of rule of law? equality before the law? Go and live there under the current regime, and you'll be crying to go back.
105 days before | remove (4) | reply
Kristina wrote:
Yeah...Is that wat Serj told you personally? That he is looking to leave Armenia with his pockets full? :)
lol
- Abo
  LTP is the only one who could save Armenia from this gang of worthless criminals (Serj and his gang.
  Serj is distroying this country faster than we think. Armenia has turned into a place no-one wants to be in, not even Serj.
  His plans are simple: fill his pockets and then leave Armenia and live in the West with his family. That what all the corrupt gang of politiicians think.
105 days before | remove (5) | reply
Thomas wrote:
Bravo Kristina,
We surely know who Rafael and Abo are, don't we?...

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