TENTS FOR THE REVOLUTIONARY PARTY
Lragir, Armenia
Nov 27 2007
The ARF Dashnaktsutyun Party is apparently in trouble with its
decision. The ancient party finally seemed to have decided to conduct
an independent policy and nominated a candidate for the presidential
election 2008. In addition, it nominated two candidates instead of one,
and to elect one of them the ARF Dashnaktsutyun has put up tents in
the streets where the citizens are invited to prefer one of them.
The leadership of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun explains this tactics by
various political and public circumstances. However, it is felt that
deep inside the ARF Dashnaktsutyun leadership is confused. Either
they have got used to dependence or they do not know what to do next.
"Next" is vanishing in the haze. On the one hand, the government acts
"life and death", on the other hand, Ter-Petrosyan’s pole threatens,
at least in appearance, to become a major home political factor. The
expected stance of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun, which could be put as "they
will eat each other, we will advance" seems ineffective; moreover,
it threatens to set both against them, turning this tactics moot and
imperceptible. This is dangerous for the party’s leadership who are
apparently up for a major political deal with the government through
putting up a candidate.
The government, however, did not hurry to bargain with the ARF
leadership. Firstly, this is not a parliamentary election, and
the government does not fancy flirting. Especially when the ARF
leadership has refused to support the government and act against Levon
Ter-Petrosyan. Secondly, the ARF leadership has made such abject deals
with the government of Armenia and Karabakh in the past few years
that the society disbelieves Dashnaktsutyun’s likelihood to conduct
an independent policy. Is this the reason why the ARF Dashnaktsutyun
is rejecting responsibility placing it on the passers-by? Because
for its part the existence of two candidates shows that there is no
agreement inside the party not only on the issue of the candidate
but also many underlying issues.
In facts, hard times have come. In this situation the ARF
Dashnaktsutyun could have played a major role by conducting a new
quality politics, establishing Constitutional order and building
a civil society in Armenia, strange though it may seem. The party
possesses everything necessary for an independent policy except will
and determination of its leaders.